The Indiana Pacers are one victory away from claiming their first title since the merger in 1976. They won three titles in the ABA, but none in the NBA. However, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder just one more time changes everything, forever immortalizing this group in basketball history.
From one face-melting comeback to another, the Pacers' journey to the NBA Finals has been unlike any we've seen. They've truly embraced the "never say die" mentality. But as unconventional as their path to this point looks, their style of play is just as unique in league history.
Indiana isn't your standard championship squad. They're a collective unit that wants to beat you with 1,000 cuts; a star(s) doesn't carry the load. Even their offensive engine, Tyrese Haliburton, is looking more to unlock his teammates than he is to take over games with his scoring. You never know who's going to rise to the occasion for this team. With that in mind, who earns Finals MVP honors if the Pacers take down the Thunder in Game 7?
Will it be omnipresent two-way star Pascal Siakam? The franchise floor general in Haliburton? Could one of Indy's invaluable reserves, like spark plug T.J. McConnell or Obi Toppin, receive the Bill Russell Trophy? Regardless of who it is, one thing is certain: The Pacers will produce one of the lowest-scoring Finals MVPs ever.
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Will a Pacers player crack the list of lowest-scoring NBA Finals MVPs ever?
Player | Team | Points Per Game | NBA Season |
|---|---|---|---|
Wes Unseld | Washington Wizards | 9.0 | 1977-78 |
Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 16.2 | 1981-82 |
Andre Iguodala | Golden State Warriors | 16.3 | 2014-15 |
Willis Reed | New York Knicks | 16.4 | 1972-73 |
Cedric Maxwell | Boston Celtics | 17.7 | 1980-81 |
Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | 17.8 | 2013-14 |
Bill Walton | Portland Trai Blazers | 18.5 | 1976-77 |
Wilt Chamberlain | Los Angeles Lakers | 19.4 | 1971-92 |
Only eight players have been named Finals MVP while averaging fewer than 20 points per game (PPG). Siakam is Indy's leading scorer entering the decisive Game 7 clash in Oklahoma City at 19.8 PPG. In other words, barring an explosive performance, there's a decent chance a member of the Pacers joins this short list.
Four-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala controversially secured Finals MVP over Stephen Curry when the Golden State Warriors bested the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014-15. Voters gave the former the edge for his efforts guarding LeBron James, who posted an absurd 35.8/13.3/8.8 stat line, albeit on poor efficiency. Meanwhile, the latter posted 26 PPG while shooting 38.5 percent from three and tallying 1.8 steals per contest.
Wes Unseld is the first, only and probably last single-digit scoring Finals MVP. Similarly to the Pacers, the then-Bullets Washington Wizards were greater than the sum of their parts. Six players averaged double figures, but the Hall of Famer was deemed more vital to overall team success.
Note: Stats courtesy of StatMuse.com and Basketball-Reference.com.