- Oklahoma City Thunder enter Finals as favourites after 68-win season
- Indiana Pacers reach only second NBA Finals in franchise history
- Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton to lead their teams in title clash
Key Takeaways:
The 78th edition of the NBA Finals tips off tonight, with favourites Oklahoma City Thunder set to face surprise finalists Indiana Pacers in the battle for the crown.
With the advantage of playing at home, a reward for their impressive regular season record of 68 wins and only 14 losses – the best in the NBA – the Thunder arrive as favourites. The Oklahoma side is chasing its second title in history, after winning the NBA in 1979, when the franchise was still known as the Seattle SuperSonics. Since then, the team has played in the Finals twice – in 1996 (a loss to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls) and in 2012 (a loss to LeBron James’ Miami Heat), the latter under the Thunder name.
🚨 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
Today, the Thunder are led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 26-year-old Canadian guard was named MVP of the regular season and of the Western Conference Final, with averages of 29.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game in the playoffs. He is the main weapon of coach Mark Daigneault. Alongside him, the young duo of Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren stand out, while the team’s defensive strength is powered by Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein and Cason Wallace. Oklahoma eliminated Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves on their road to this year’s Finals.
On the other side, the Pacers are making only their second NBA Finals appearance, after losing in 2000 to the Los Angeles Lakers of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Back then, Reggie Miller led the team, which lost 2-4.
Now coached by Rick Carlisle – champion with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 – the Indianapolis team finished the regular season in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 50 wins and 32 losses. They reached the Finals after eliminating Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks.
The 25-year-old Tyrese Haliburton is the brain of the team, averaging 18.8 points, 9.8 assists and only 1.9 turnovers per game. Pascal Siakam has also played a decisive role, leading the team in scoring (21.2 points per game) and bringing with him his experience as a 2019 NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors. Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith complete the starting five, backed by a solid bench featuring Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, T.J. McConnell and Ben Sheppard.