Indiana Pacers ready to go through the best team, the best challenge, says Tyrese Haliburton

There is no doubt that the Indiana Pacers would start the NBA finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder as an underdog. However, the Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said they are ready to go through the best team, the best challenge to become the NBA champions.

But it won’t be anything new for the Pacers in the ongoing playoffs. In the second round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they registered a 4-1 win. Against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, they won by 4-2.

“I don’t think we expect anyone to pick us,” Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said at NBA Finals media day Wednesday afternoon. “It’s been that way the whole playoffs. The whole season. Nothing for us changes. We just continue to be ourselves, focus on us. It’s always been us against everyone.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be led by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Haliburton admitted they will have their work cut out against the Thunder.

“They’re historically great on both sides of the ball,” Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said. “They have the MVP. There’s so many different things you could name down the list of why they are so great at what they do, why they’re such a great team.”

Haliburton said they are ready to grind it out against the best team in the NBA.

“You want to go through the best team, the best challenge. This is the best challenge,” Haliburton said. “This is the best team in the NBA. It’s been the best team in the NBA all year. They’re well-coached. They just do everything so well. There’s no shortcuts to beating this team. We know the odds are stacked against us. It is what it is. We want to be here. We want to play against the best. This is the best. We look forward to the challenge as a group.”

The first game of the NBA finals between the Thunder and the Pacers will be played on Thursday.