NBA Finals Set to Begin: Thunder vs. Pacers

The NBA Finals kick off on Thursday night featuring two small market teams that have made quite a name for themselves this season.

The title will be contested in Oklahoma City, where the Western Conference’s top seed, the Thunder, will face off against the Indiana Pacers.

The Thunder had an impressive regular season, finishing with a record of 68-14, spearheaded by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Pacers, on the other hand, come into the finals as underdogs. Despite only winning 18 games, they concluded the season with a 50-32 record, which was the fourth-best in the Eastern Conference.

This marks Indiana’s first appearance in the finals since 2000, and it’s interesting to note that they’ve followed a somewhat familiar path to get here. Like that team from 25 years ago, they took down the New York Knicks to advance. They defeated the Knicks in six games after previously overcoming their divisional rivals, the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers, in five and six games, respectively.

For the Pacers, this playoff run has been remarkable. They’ve shown resilience, especially considering they’ve come back to win three times this postseason after trailing by seven or more points in the fourth quarter or overtime—something that hardly ever happens.

They had previously won three ABA championships in the 1970s, but that elusive NBA title has yet to be claimed.

Meanwhile, the Thunder’s journey back to the finals is significant. This is their first trip since the days of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, who faced the Miami Heat in the finals. Back then, they missed the chance to defeat the 73-9 Golden State Warriors, led by a remarkable comeback from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Now, it’s clear this is one of the best teams Oklahoma City has fielded since relocating from Seattle in 2008. Winning this title would be their first since taking on the Thunder name, with the Supersonics last capturing a championship in 1979.

The finals will feature a format of 2-2-1-1-1, meaning games 1 and 2 will take place in Oklahoma City on Thursday and Sunday. Following that, the series moves to Indianapolis for games 3 and 4 next week on Wednesday and Friday. Should it go to a Game 5, it will return to Oklahoma on June 16, with Game 6 in Indy three days later, and a potential Game 7 back in Oklahoma City on June 22.