The 2025 NBA Finals are knotted up at 2-2 heading back to Oklahoma City where the Thunder will host Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers. NBA Finals Correspondent Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls is excited to see what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton do to lead their teams to the finish line.
Neither team has won back-to-back games in this series, with each team exchanging wins throughout the first four games of the series.
NBA Finals Correspondent Matas Buzelis reacts to Thunder-Pacers series
Every NBA Finals, the league brings on young players to act as Correspondents for the championship round. The players, usually four splitting up the first four practice and games of the series, take turns asking players questions they’re interested about while getting a feel for the big stage that is the NBA Finals.
For Game 4, the NBA brought on forward Matas Buzelis, fresh off his All-Rookie season with the Chicago Bulls.
Buzelis checked in and spoke with ClutchPoints during the series, giving his take on his new job and the series at hand.
“I think someone texted me and he’s like you’re gonna be a correspondent,” Matas Buzelis told ClutchPoints at the NBA Finals. “I’m like, ‘oh, okay! I don’t even know what that is!’ But once I got the invite, anything that the NBA invites you to, you want to participate in. If you have the opportunity, you should take it.
“I’m looking forward to asking players the questions. Also, just getting to watch a Finals game. I think there’s a lot of talent, the best teams in the world right now in Indiana and Oklahoma City. So it’s exciting. And they’re small market teams and it means a lot to the fans, so it’s pretty cool to see the atmosphere and see how hard they compete.”
The Oklahoma City Thunder won 68 games during the regular season and 14 here in the postseason, making them one of the rare teams to eclipse 100 total wins in a season. Now just two games away from the franchise’s first NBA Championship, Buzelis is intrigued by the Thunder’s camaraderie and togetherness throughout their journey.
Article Continues Below“Man, I mean it’s honestly been incredible what they do there,” the Bulls rookie told ClutchPoints of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder. “They’re so close together as a team. They’re like all family and they all play well together. I think they all know their role. They have Shai of course who is the head of the snake, and then J-Dub [Jalen Williams] is right there, so it’s just like their team is built very organically if you know what I mean. It’s exciting to see what they can do and we’ll see if they pull it out.”
On the other end, the Indiana Pacers have had a postseason run that no one outside of the Hoosier State believed was even possible. As a Central Division rival, Buzelis and his Bulls saw a lot of Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers throughout the NBA season.
“I knew they were tough from playing them this year,” Buzelis told ClutchPoints of the Pacers. “Their pace, the speed they play at, the physicality, the defensive intensity. Their coach, Rick Carlisle, of course is a very smart guy. They just know how to play together, as a team, and they don’t press anything. They don’t take tough shots. They’re all on the same page and it’s cool to see that.”
During NBA Finals Media Day, Buzelis was able to ask players questions for the first time as a member of the media. It’s a role he’s definitely not ruling himself out of now that he’s been able to experience it.
“Oh, yeah, I don’t close any doors!” Buzelis added of his post-NBA playing career plans. “I’m looking for all opportunities. And, you know, whatever happens, happens. I’d definitely like to be a reporter. But you know, if there’s other jobs — maybe coaching — I’ll do that. So, we’ll see in the future.”
The 2025 NBA Finals will continue on Monday night when the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers play Game 5 of the championship round. The winner of Game 5 will take a 3-2 series lead and be just one win away from securing their respective franchise’s first NBA Championship.
