The Week That Was | Oklahoma City vs Indiana Pacers NBA Finals Recap & Predictions | Remembering Jim Marshall

The 2025 NBA Finals is off to a great start with the Cardiac Kids of The Indiana Pacers doing it again with Tyrese Haliburton making magic with the game winning shot with 0.3 seconds left to win 111-110 against the Oklahoma City Thunder to take Game 1.

The Pacers are very dangerous on the road because obviously they have been very successful on the road. Tyrese Haliburton has been developing a clutch gene in the postseason explosion in the clutch whether it is against the Bucks, Cavaliers or the Knicks- Haliburton has become a money player when the game is on the line it is Haliburton you want to have the ball in the final seconds. For the Thunder the Game 1 loss is shocking because they led the majority of the game but NBA basketball is played for 48 minutes because it is not how you start it is how you finish and the Indiana Pacers with their comeback caliber just have the uncanny knack to pull out these wins.

The Thunder have to be able to bounce back and even the series by simply learning how to close out the Pacers in Game 2. The Thunder have to take the Pacers off the 3-point line and not allow open 3-point shots. Jalen Williams has to take his game to the next level including Chet Holmgren to truly complement League MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander. The Thunder will still win the series in 6 but they may have to play a Game 7 because the Pacers don't have no pressure on them because all the pressure is on the Thunder who won 68 games and they need to win a championship especially for General Manager Sam Presti who had to deal with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden departures but still stay the course to persevere and build the Thunder back to championship contention.

The Pacers should definitely be confident in winning the series because of the road wins they have accumulated including the home wins so this series may go the Pacers way only time will tell because it is just one game.

In the NFL world, the NFL lost Jim Marshall who was like the Cal Ripken of the NFL in terms of playing in consecutive games and rarely missing games who was the famed Purple People Eaters. He played 270 consecutive games as a defensive player starting which still stands as a league record including 29 fumble recoveries. Marshall played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1961-1979 including playing in 282 games which was the most by a defensive player. He was the ultimate iron man for the Minnesota Vikings who was infamous for running the wrong way in a game against the San Francisco 49ers on October 25th 1964 recovering a offensive fumble and running 66 yards for the touchdown.

Marshall played in 4 Super Bowls for the Minnesota Vikings but lost each one of them to the Chiefs,Dolphins,Steelers,and the Raiders. But Jim Marshall will always be remembered as one of the great defensive players in Minnesota Vikings history.