The 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers tips off at 7:30 p.m. on June 5.
This year’s Finals features a matchup between Canadian-born Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Wisconsin native Tyrese Haliburton. Gilgeous-Alexander, 25, was voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player last month and Haliburton, 25, is one of the fastest rising stars in the league.
Haliburton led Oshkosh North High School to a Wisconsin state championship in 2018.
How they got here: Oklahoma City Thunder
Key players:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, age 25, Kentucky
- Jalen Williams, 24, Santa Clara, all-defensive first team
- Chet Holmgren, 23, Gonzaga
- Isaiah Hartenstein, 27, Germany
The Thunder went 68-14 during the regular season, achieving the fourth-best record in NBA history.
They boast the league’s best team defensive rating and use their defense to spark big runs. The offseason additions of Hartenstein and former Bulls guard Alex Caruso have paid dividends.
The Thunder are also the youngest team to ever reach the NBA Finals and are led by head coach Mark Daigneault, who is only 40 years old himself.
OKC swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round (featuring a 51-point win in Game 1), won a grueling seven-game series against the Denver Nuggets, and defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games to reach the Finals for the first time since 2012.
How they got here: Indiana Pacers
Key players:
- Tyrese Haliburton, 25, Iowa State
- Myles Turner, 29, Texas
- Pascal Siakim, 31, New Mexico State
- Aaron Nesmith, 25, Vanderbilt
The Pacers went 50-32, recovering from a slow start at the beginning of the season and surging after the All-Star break. The Pacers play a very up tempo, fast breaking brand of basketball bolstered by their depth and athletic length.
The Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, routed the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, and beat their longtime rivals, the New York Knicks, in six games to reach the Finals for the first time in 25 years.
Brief, not-in-the-weeds analysis:
The Pacers are one of the most entertaining teams in the league. They attack the basket with some of the most athletic wings in the league and are a very chippy bunch.
The Pacers have too much firepower for the Thunder, who haven’t been great when trailing by double digits in this year’s playoffs.
The Thunder will try to bury Indiana with a stifling defense, but the Pacers bench is deep with TJ McConnell, Obi Toppen and Benedict Mathurin all making big contributions during this postseason. Pacers forward Pascal Siakim is one of the most underrated players in the league and presents matchup problems for both Holmgren and Hartenstein.
Prediction: Pacers in 6.
