The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers are the final two teams standing during the 2025 NBA Playoffs and thus will square off in the NBA Finals.
The No. 1 seed Thunder made quick work of the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round before running into a Denver Nuggets team that pushed their series to seven games. The series against Denver seemed to prepare Oklahoma City for their Western Conference Finals tilt against the Minnesota Timberwolves as the former won in five games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the Western Conference Finals MVP for his efforts in the series.
On the other side of the bracket, the Pacers were able to dispatch the Milwaukee Bucks in five games before upsetting the Cleveland Cavaliers in the next round. Indiana then took on the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals and managed to outlast them in six games. Pascal Siakam took home Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors.
This marks the first time Oklahoma City and Indiana will meet in the Finals and the series winner will capture their respective franchise’s first NBA title. The Thunder last made the Finals in 2012 with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. However, the Pacers’ Finals drought is even longer as the last time they advanced this far was in 2000 behind Reggie Miller when they lose to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The matchup features two of the youngest and athletic teams in the league, though Oklahoma City is being touted as the heavy favorite due to their defense, size, length and depth. This doesn’t mean Indiana should be taken lightly as they’ve proven to be able to overcome large deficits because of their pace and outside shooting.
The most interesting matchup is between Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton, two of the premier point guards in the NBA though play drastically differnet. Gilgeous-Alexander is a surgeon in the mid-range area, but he’s also a crafty player who can either get all the way to the rim or shoot it from deep. Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton is a genius playmaker who also has a knack for hitting clutch shots with the game on the line.
Parity is at an all-time high in the league and it’ll be exciting to see who will be the next NBA champion.
2025 NBA Finals Info
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #4 Indiana Pacers
Game 1: June 5 @ Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m. PT, ABC
Game 2: June 8 @ Oklahoma City, 5:00 p.m. PT, ABC
Game 3: June 11 @ Indiana, 5:30 p.m. PT, ABC
Game 4: June 13 @ Indiana, 5:30 p.m. PT, ABC
Game 5 (if necessary): June 16 @ Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m. PT, ABC
Game 6 (if necessary): June 19 @ Indiana, 5:30 p.m. PT, ABC
Game 7 (if necessary): June 22 @ Oklahoma City, 5:00 p.m. PT, ABC
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
