Two franchises, separated by geography and circumstance, yet united by the singular pursuit that defines this league—a championship.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, rebuilt through patience and precision by longtime executive Sam Presti, their young core now seasoned by playoff fire, carry the hopes of a basketball-mad state that has waited since 2012 to return to this stage. Led by NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder have had one of the best seasons in league history with a suffocating defense leading to one of the most opportunistic offenses you'll see. Having overcome the gritty Minnesota Timberwolves, they seek to finish what that young trio of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden couldn't against LeBron's Heat thirteen years ago.
The record books say they have won a title. That lone championship was not in Oklahoma City, but in memory—won as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979, defeating Washington in a Finals rematch after heartbreak the year before.
Standing in their path: the Indiana Pacers, a franchise whose championship drought stretches back even further—1973, when they wore different colors in a different league, capturing three ABA titles before that upstart circuit merged with the NBA. Having dispatched the New York Knicks in a hard-fought Eastern Conference Finals, they arrive here carrying fifty-two years of yearning, embodying that particular brand of Hoosier basketball that has always punched above its weight.
Two franchises haunted by history, hungry for redemption. The 2025 NBA Finals begin now, where legacies are rewritten and decades of waiting can end with a single series. This is why we play the game!
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TV:
Projected Lineups:
The Oklahoma City Thunder, rebuilt through patience and precision by longtime executive Sam Presti, their young core now seasoned by playoff fire, carry the hopes of a basketball-mad state that has waited since 2012 to return to this stage. Led by NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder have had one of the best seasons in league history with a suffocating defense leading to one of the most opportunistic offenses you'll see. Having overcome the gritty Minnesota Timberwolves, they seek to finish what that young trio of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden couldn't against LeBron's Heat thirteen years ago.
The record books say they have won a title. That lone championship was not in Oklahoma City, but in memory—won as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979, defeating Washington in a Finals rematch after heartbreak the year before.
Standing in their path: the Indiana Pacers, a franchise whose championship drought stretches back even further—1973, when they wore different colors in a different league, capturing three ABA titles before that upstart circuit merged with the NBA. Having dispatched the New York Knicks in a hard-fought Eastern Conference Finals, they arrive here carrying fifty-two years of yearning, embodying that particular brand of Hoosier basketball that has always punched above its weight.
Two franchises haunted by history, hungry for redemption. The 2025 NBA Finals begin now, where legacies are rewritten and decades of waiting can end with a single series. This is why we play the game!


-------------------------VS-------------------------

TV:

Projected Lineups:









