Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket beside Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Thunder Face Off with Pacers in NBA Finals

The 2025 NBA Finals are underway, featuring two of the league’s youngest and most entertaining teams: the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Both teams are starting a new era for their cities. Neither team has won a ring or even been to the finals in the last decade. Tonight, it will be the first time these two teams face off in their playoff histories.

🚨 PACERS. THUNDER. GAME DAY. 🚨

Two young, fast, team-first powerhouses take center stage. SGA and the two-way juggernaut Thunder. Haliburton and the historically-clutch Pacers.

It's the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV!

Game 1: 8:30pm/et on ABC pic.twitter.com/XSzD4nZJMA

— NBA (@NBA) June 5, 2025

The Indiana Pacers

The Pacers, led by all-stars Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton, have reached new heights this season. They are 12-4 in these playoffs and have cruised to the finals. En route to this stage they have beaten: two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, a 64-win Cavs team, and Jalen Brunson’s New York Knicks.

The engine for this Pacers team is Tyrese Haliburton. Once voted most overrated in the league by his peers, he has proven them wrong. In these playoffs, he has averaged 18.8 points per game along with 9.8 assists.

The key, for the Pacers in this series, is Tyreese Haliburton’s aggression. In three out of four of their losses in these playoffs, he has scored less than 15 points. For Indiana to win against a monster OKC team, Haliburton will need to be as efficient as possible on offense. The Pacers look to steal game one tonight away from home.

the international calls for Tyrese Haliburton's incredible game-tying bucket to force overtime in our Game 1 win at MSG 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/QwVqzHgIrz

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 22, 2025

OKC’s Dominance

The Oklahoma City Thunder come off one of the most dominant regular seasons of all time. Behind MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder managed a 68-win regular season and are 12-4 in these playoffs.

They stomped the Timberwolves in the Eastern Conference Finals 4-1 and fended off three-time MVP Nikola Jokic in the semis. The Thunder are heavy favorites heading into the series. Oklahoma City looks to use their smothering defense to keep Indiana’s explosive offense in check.

Game Time

Two young stars, Haliburton and Gilgeous-Alexander, are looking to lead two storied franchises into modern-day glory. Game 1 of the NBA Finals tonight at 8:30 PM.

Category: NBA, NBA Playoffs