Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Shaquille O'Neal Picks NBA Finals Game 3 Winner Without Hesitation

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 9:50 PM ET

After two games of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City, it's difficult to see the way things have played out thus far as anything but predictable. The Pacers, as they did in each of the three playoff series before this one, were able to pull off a miraculous late comeback punctuated by a last-second Tyrese Haliburton shot for a win, in Game 1.

And the Thunder, as they've done from the beginning of the season, showed themselves to have a dominant defense in Game 2, holding the Pacers to 107 points. Indiana is now 0-5 when they fail to hit the 110-point mark.

The Pacers will seek to stop another trend that has taken hold in these playoffs, too, as they return to Indiana for Game 3 on Wednesday. The Pacers are 0-3 in their three Game 3s in this postseason.

Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal, speaking on NBA TV, was asked for his pick in Game 3, and he fired off his answer quickly: "I am picking the Pacers," he said.

O'Neal explained that he feels the Pacers' role players--the "others," he calls them-- will be better at home in Game 3. He also expects the Thunder role players who excelled in Game 2, namely Alex Caruso and Andrew Wiggins off the bench, to be unable to repeat their success.

"The others for OKC played well. Now we have a series," O'Neal said.

"I am always big on the others. I always talk about my four championships, but I would never have four without the likes of Big Shot Bob (Horry), Rick Fix, Brian Shaw, Devean George and my favorite other, Mike Penberthy. The others play well at home so I am going to go with Indiana.

"They’re confident. And when an underdog gets confident, you gotta kill them. .. I am guaranteeing you on the plane, they’re saying, ‘OK, OK, I can’t let Caruso get 20. I can’t let Wiggins get 18.’ That’s all they’re saying, not, ‘Aw, we’ve got to make adjustments.’ That’s what they’re saying."

Game 3 will be played on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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