Finals MVP Battle: Alexander and Halliburton s showdown

On the grand stage of the NBA Finals, the ownership of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) has always been the focus of attention. When the Oklahoma City Thunders competed with the Indiana Pacers at a peak, Thunder's Shea Gilgers-Alexander and Pacers's Tyres Halliburton undoubtedly became strong contenders for the Finals MVP, and their performances will largely determine who this honor will be.

Judging from the overall performance of the regular season and playoffs this season, Alexander has a certain advantage. This season's regular season, Alexander played a phenomenal performance, averaging 32.7 points (leading league scoring), plus 5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1 block, shooting percentage of 51.9%, three-point shooting percentage of 37.5%, and free throw percentage of 89.8%. He became the first player to achieve "32 points + 6 assists" in a single season after Michael Jordan, and ranked among the top 15 in the league in scoring, assists, steals and blocking. Throughout the season, he contributed 42 games, 30+, 16 games, 40+, and 4 games, 50+, ranking first in the league in all three data. The cumulative positive and negative values ​​of a single season are as high as +632, ranking first in the league, demonstrating his absolute influence on the outcome of the game. Under his leadership, the Thunder topped the league with a record of 68 wins and 14 losses, not only setting the best record in team history, but also becoming the only team in the past decade to break through 65 games in a single season. With such outstanding performance, Alexander was awarded the regular season MVP without any suspense.

entered the playoffs, and Alexander's dominance remained unabated, averaging 31.4 points and 8.2 assists per game, with a real shooting percentage of 65.4%. Especially at a critical moment when the score difference was within 5 points in the last 5 minutes of the game, he averaged 5.2 points per game, winning the league. In the two regular season games against the Pacers, Alexander averaged 39 points per game, showing strong destructive power to the Pacers' defense. If the Thunder can win the finals 4-2, Alexander will most likely win the Finals MVP with his key role in the team and stable and efficient output throughout the series. After all, his performance throughout the season is the mainstay of the team. Continuing this highlight in the finals and helping the team win the championship will make him the best candidate for the MVP in the finals.

Halliburton cannot be underestimated. As the core of the Pacers, he averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists this season, and his assist-and-turnover ratio is as high as 5.6, ranking first in the league. He is an extremely comprehensive player, not only has excellent scoring skills, but also has top-notch organizational and defensive skills. His passing vision is excellent, he always cleverly creates opportunities for his teammates and leads the team to victory, and his leadership has also been recognized by the whole team. Halliburton played a crucial role in the Pacers’ journey to the Eastern Conference Finals for two consecutive years. In the Eastern Conference Finals this season, despite the final MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals being won by Siakam, Halliburton scored double-double in four of his 6 games and also contributed 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, and 4 steals in a single game. He is still the Pacers' brain and winning guarantee.

Halliburton's performance may be limited when facing the Thunder's tough outside defense, and he has played only 4 points in a single game in the regular season with the Thunder. However, Halliburton has a big heart attribute. At critical moments when the game is in a stalemate or the team is behind, he can always remain calm and lead the team out of the predicament. In the NBA's last 30 years since introducing super key balls (the last 90 seconds to help the team get equaliser or lead), Halliburton made 5 of 6, tied for the first place in history with James. If in the finals, Halliburton can continue to maintain his calmness and efficiency at critical moments, lead the Pacers to resist tenaciously in the series, and even reverse in some games, his average data can remain around 25 points, 10 assists, and the team can drag the game into the sixth or even the seventh game, then Halliburton also has the opportunity to "grab" the finals MVP from Alexander with his influence on the game.

Overall, Alexander has a slight advantage in the competition for MVP in this finals, from the team's record, personal average data per game and performance in the playoffs so far. But basketball games are full of uncertainty, and Halliburton also has the strength and qualities to explode in the finals. Is it that Alexander won all the regular season MVP and Finals MVP to complete an epic season with his strong performance throughout the season and his key role in the Thunder? Or is it that Halliburton led the Pacers to make a counterattack and won the Finals MVP trophy with his highlights in the Finals, let's wait and see and find the answers in the Finals arena.