Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
June 5, 2025 8:30 pm EDT
The NBA presents Draftkings basketball fans with an NBA Finals matchup featuring the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Let’s take a look at this game from a DFS perspective.
Before we dive into the Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game let’s review the rules for the Draftkings single game showdown contest.
Draftkings Single Game Showdown Contest Rules
You have $50,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team captain. The captain accumulates 1.5 times the standard fantasy points. Additionally, the captain is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.
The remaining four players in your lineup will receive the standard fantasy points. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your captain position if you hope to win a large field DFS GPP (guaranteed prize pool) showdown contest.
If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single game showdown contest, I recommend that you check out the Draftkings website for more details.
*I recommend that all readers review the starting lineups for both teams prior to setting your DFS lineup for this one game slate.
Here are my Draftkings picks for this Thursday night’s Pacers vs. Thunder matchup.
Draftkings NBA Showdown Picks
Captain-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder $12,000
Point Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a standout performer for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. With that said, how has Gilgeous-Alexander performed from a statistical standpoint? Let’s review the veteran point guard’s relevant player data from the 2024 NBA season to answer that question.
In the 92 games that point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks a game.
Looking at the data just presented more closely, in the 92 games that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played for the Thunder this season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 53.3 Draftkings points a contest.
It should also be mentioned that these two teams have met multiple times this season. How did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander perform in the most recent matchup? Who prevailed? In the Oklahoma City Thunder’s dominant 132-111 win over the Indiana Pacers in March, Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played exceptionally well. More specifically, Gilgeous-Alexander amassed a massive 33 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and one steal in the Thunder’s victory over the Pacers.
In summary, I think Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the most likely player to post the most Draftkings points in this NBA Finals game. For that specific reason, I am backing Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the captain position for this one game Draftkings NBA single game contest.
Flex Plays
Jalen Williams, Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder $9,800
In addition to point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, forward Jalen Williams has been a key contributor for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2025.
In the 84 games that Jalen Williams has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024 NBA season (including playoffs), Williams is averaging 21.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks a game.
Looking closer at the data just presented, in the 84 games that Jalen Williams has played for the Thunder this season, Williams has averaged 40.3 Draftkings points a game.
In conclusion, I fully expect Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams to continue his outstanding play in Thursday’s matchup with the Indiana Pacers.
Additional flex plays I like to play well in Thursday night’s NBA Finals game (Draftkings price noted): Tyrese Haliburton, Point Guard (Indiana Pacers) $11,000: Pascal Siakam, Forward (Indiana Pacers) $9,400.
