Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers
After eliminating the Knicks in Game 6, the Pacers won the Eastern Conference championship and secured their spot in the 2025 NBA Finals, where they’ll face the Western Conference champions, the Thunder. Oklahoma City were afforded more rest days since they finished their Western Conference Finals series against Minnesota in five games.
ESPN analytics have Oklahoma City as the 75 percent favorites to win the Larry O’Brien trophy, while Indiana only have a 25 percent chance. The Pacers have been the underdogs throughout these playoffs, so this is no longer new for them.
Despite what the numbers and betting odds say, SBOTOP basketball fans can expect an all-out war between these two sides since one of them can win its first-ever championship, and not all NBA franchises can boast of having at least one.
Without further ado, learn more about these two teams in today’s Game 1 preview.
Talking Points
Thunder on quest to complete dream season
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the brink of making history. The Canadian international just won the regular season and Western Conference Finals MVP, and he can add a Finals MVP to his growing trophy case if things go according to plan.
In the 2025 playoffs, Gilgeous-Alexander has already amassed 10 games with at least 30 points and five assists in a single postseason, and he’ll need to have two more such games to have the most in league history since 1963, surpassing Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Oklahoma City also boast the fourth-youngest average age heading into the NBA Finals (25.33). Head coach Mark Daigneault has turned the Thunder into a juggernaut despite their relative lack of deep playoff experience. Alex Caruso is the lone player with championship experience (Lakers in 2020), and he’ll be an x-factor for them this series.
The Thunder were not supposed to be this good already. They should be rebuilding after trading Paul George to the Clippers in 2020. And the scary thing about them is they have a boatload of draft picks they can build on in the next few years to prolong their championship window.
Pacers embrace underdog label
The Pacers have been overlooked all season. Even their star guard, Tyrese Haliburton, was seen as the most overrated player in the NBA. It’s safe to say that Haliburton has put the “overrated” claims to rest. The two-time NBA All-Star has been praised for his all-around play and late-game heroics. He is averaging 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1.4 steals on 46.6 percent shooting from the field this postseason.
Besides Haliburton, the Thunder must be wary of Pascal Siakam, who has already won an NBA championship with the Raptors in 2019. The Cameroonian forward won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP after averaging 24.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 52.4 percent shooting.
History
The Thunder and Pacers will meet for the first time in the NBA Finals. Oklahoma City’s last Finals appearance was in 2012, when they lost to Miami in five games. Back then, they still had the young trio of Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kevin Durant. On the other hand, Indiana’s last Finals appearance was in 2000, when they lost to Los Angeles, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, in six games.
If you count the Sonics years, the Thunder technically have one NBA championship, as they beat the Bullets (now known as the Wizards) in five games during the 1979 Finals. Meanwhile, the Pacers have won three championships in the defunct ABA (1970, 1972, and 1973).
Oklahoma City completed a regular season sweep over Indiana this year, winning 120-114 last December and 132-111 last March.
What are the odds?
As mentioned, the NBA 2025 odds favor the Thunder to beat the Pacers in the Finals. Their journey starts in Game 1 at Paycom Center, where they’re backed to win this Friday. Oklahoma City are priced at 1.22 to win in the money line, while Indiana are priced at 3.94. The hosts are also backed in the Asian Handicap market with -10.50 at 2.19 being the highest offer.
If the Thunder take Game 1, it’ll likely be on the back of another solid defensive performance. They have been the league’s most stingy defense this postseason, making alternative bets like Under 231.50 at 1.88, Under 231.00 at 1.93, Under 230.50 at 2.00, and Under 230.00 at 2.06 worth considering. Bettors can also expect Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to create numerous NBA 2025 highlights, making Over 33.50 at 1.91 viable to add to your parlay.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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