NBA Finals: Insiders break down the matchup between 'the two hardest-playing teams'

Offensive pace and defensive pressure are hallmarks for the Thunder and Pacers as they begin the NBA Finals.

OKLAHOMA CITY — There are many ways to describe the NBA Finals.

Some see Oklahoma City vs. Indiana as the small-market Finals. To others, it’s known as the fiscal Finals — a rare championship matchup between non-luxury-tax-paying teams.

On the court, it is a showdown between two of the league’s best guards, Thunder MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton.

Yet how these teams reached this point, just four victories from a title, can also be captured in a different way.

“It’s the two hardest-playing teams in the NBA,” a Western Conference coach told NBC News.