NBA
ESPN’s Udonis Haslem said OKC’s ‘maturity’ was the biggest reason they lost Game 6 of the NBA Finals
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated10 mins ago on June 20, 2025
For the 20th time in NBA Finals history, the championship will be decided by Game 7. The last time this happened was in 2016. LeBron James and the Cavaliers made a 3-1 series comeback to upset the Warriors.
The Indiana Pacers got a series-saving 108-91 win vs. the Thunder on Thursday evening. It was a sloppy game from Oklahoma City, and they did not play to their full potential. On Friday morning, ESPN’s NBA analyst and three-time NBA champion Udonis Haslem had a take on OKC’s Game 6 performance. He said the Thunder’s “maturity” kept them from closing out the Finals in Game 6.
Oklahoma City lacked ‘maturity’ in Game 6, according to ESPN’s Udonis Haslem
.@ThisIsUD is all in on the Pacers closing it out in Game 7 😤
“The power of the brotherhood has brought this team together.” pic.twitter.com/3Phvqom8cK
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 20, 2025
Heading into the 2024-25 season, the Thunder had the youngest roster in terms of average age. That was the biggest knock on OKC, with an average age of 24.1 years old. Analysts around the league said the Thunder did not have the experience to make a deep playoff run and be successful. After 68 regular-season wins and a Western Conference title, OKC is one win away from winning the 2025 NBA Finals.
The Thunder had a chance to close out the series in Game 6 on Thursday night. However, OKC did not play to their full potential and lost 108-91. Friday morning, ESPN NBA analyst Udonis Haslem said the Thunder’s lack of “maturity” is why they lost Game 6. Haslem noted how the only player on their roster with any championship experience is Alex Caruso.
Udonis Haslem expects Pascal Siakam to have a big Game 6 because he creates a mismatch each time 💪 pic.twitter.com/tWAbatwc7l
— Ball Exclusives (@ballexclusives) June 19, 2025
He said, “None of those guys have ever been there before,” and that is true for OKC’s roster. Indiana is a tough place to play. Their crowd helped the Pacers to a win on Thursday night. Haslem said the Thunder have shown incredible growth through the 2025 playoffs. Game 6 was a different animal, and Haslem said their lack of “maturity” showed. He noted this was likely the first time this postseason that we saw their lack of maturity on a larger scale.
While the series is not over, the pressure is on OKC to get the job done. They were heavy favorites heading into the Finals, but find themselves tied 3-3 with the Indiana Pacers. Oklahoma City is home on Sunday night for Game 7. The Pacers have already proved they can win a close game vs. the Thunder on the road in the Finals. What team will emerge victorious in what has been a thrilling Finals? The first to reach Game 7 since 2016.
