Two contenders. One champion. Three sleeps away.
Finals week is officially here with Game 1 set for Thursday in OKC (8:30 ET, ABC).
Welcome to the biggest stage in basketball.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
June 2, 2025
How Indy Got Here: A midseason turnaround, epic rallies and a long-awaited return
How OKC Got Here: A historic regular season, Playoff poise and lockdown defense
Superstar Showdown: SGA & Haliburton clash in a star duel featuring two unique styles
East Finals Frames: An epic series of East rivals told through eight defining snapshots
Unforgettable Moments: The Finals plays you remember. The stories you haven’t heard
BUT FIRST … ⏰
It’s Finals week…
Game 1 of the NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV tips off Thursday at 8:30 ET (ABC) as Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers travel to OKC to face Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, with both teams making their first Finals appearance in over a decade.
Reads of the Week: The Oklahoman on how OKC is managing another lengthy break and what impresses Mark Daigneault most about the Pacers.
AP on Indy and OKC’s separate roads to the Finals and why Alex Caruso’s second trip to the Finals is different … ESPN on the similarities between the Thunder and the 2014-15 Warriors.
1. WELCOME TO THE FINALS: HOW THE PACERS GOT HERE
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The 2025 NBA Finals features a matchup of a dominant team from start to finish in OKC and another, in Indiana, that found its stride when it mattered most.
Both paths led them to the game’s grandest stage, with Game 1 set for Thursday, June 5 at 8:30 ET (ABC).
We have three days to dig into every aspect of this series, but let’s begin with how they got here – starting with the East champs.
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On Dec. 31, the Pacers surrendered a 19-point lead in a loss to the Bucks. It was their third defeat in four games, dropping them to 16-18 on the year and 8th in the East. But head coach Rick Carlisle stayed steady.
- “There’s plenty of things in the margins and there’s plenty of obvious things too – both offensively and defensively,” said Carlisle on the areas his team needed to improve.
- “It’s not a good feeling to go through something like this. But we’ve got to turn it into a positive somehow.”
And they did.
Exactly six months ago, on Jan. 2, the Pacers opened 2025 with a win over the Heat. Then, they caught fire – finishing the month with an NBA-best 10-2 record and riding that momentum to a 34-14 mark the rest of the way, earning the No. 4 seed in the East.
- Full Circle: In the first round of the Playoffs, Indy met Milwaukee again. In Game 5, it sealed the series with a rally, storming back from 20 down to force OT, where Tyrese Haliburton ended the series with a game-winning layup before the buzzer
- Up Next? The top-seeded Cavs, who Indy also ousted in five games, capped by a 19-point comeback to return to the East Finals, where its season ended last year
- Redemption: After falling to the Celtics in four games last season, the Pacers handled the Knicks in six to advance to their first Finals since 2000 and just their second in franchise history
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Never Out: Indy’s January turnaround reflects its ability to flip games fast – a theme of its 2025 Playoff run with four 17+ point comebacks, the most in a single postseason in the play-by-play era.
- Serial Spoilers: In fact, entering the Playoffs, only one team in the last 27 years had completed a 7+ point comeback in the final minute of a Playoff game. The Pacers have three in this postseason alone
- Clutch Catalyst: All three of those wins saw last-second buckets from Haliburton, who has led Indy to a Playoff-best 7-1 clutch record
Now, the Pacers stand four wins shy of their first NBA title. But the job’s not done.
- “This group has been special,” said Carlisle on making the Finals. “[But] this is no time to be popping champagne … It’s two teams and it’s one goal. It becomes an all or nothing thing – and we understand the magnitude of the opponent.”
2. HOW THE THUNDER GOT HERE: HISTORY, GROWTH & ONE MORE TEST
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Only one team has tallied more total wins in 2025 than the Pacers – the Thunder.
In fact, OKC produced the most dominant regular season in NBA history with a +12.9 point differential.
That translated to a franchise-record and league-best 68 wins, including 54 double-digit victories – also an NBA record.
Its key to success? A lockdown defense and the Kia NBA MVP.
- Defensive Dominance: In the regular season, OKC ranked first in the NBA in DefRtg, steals, opponent FG%, opponent 3P% and points off turnovers
- The Shai Way: On the other end, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the scoring crown, averaging 32.7 ppg on 51.9% shooting en route to earning Kia MVP honors
- OKC Embodiment: Like the Thunder (3rd in reg. season OffRtg), SGA shines both ways, joining Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Michael Jordan as the only players to average 30+ points, 1.5+ steals and 1+ blocks in the last 40 years
Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images
The Next Step: In 2024, the Thunder became the youngest team ever to earn a No. 1 seed, but their season ended early as they fell to the Mavericks in the West Semifinals.
In 2025, OKC earned the top seed again – and this time, it kept climbing.
- Déjà Vu: After sweeping the Grizzlies in Round 1, the Thunder returned to the West Semis to face the 2023 NBA champion Nuggets, who jumped out to a 2-1 series lead – the same series deficit OKC faced last year against Dallas
- Not Again: But this year, with their backs against the wall, the Thunder refused to fold – winning three of the next four games, including a 125-93 victory in Game 7 to advance
- “This series really tested our resolve,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault after the win. “And these guys just keep coming. It’s really incredible fortitude. I thought it really showed the character of the team.”
Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images
The Growth: The Thunder rode that momentum into the West Finals, ousting the Wolves in five games by leaning on the same strengths that fueled their historic regular season.
Those strengths have shined even brighter under the Playoff spotlight.
- SGA’s Surge: After helping close out Denver with three straight 30-pieces, SGA dropped four more in five games against Minnesota – all of which resulted in wins
- JDub Delivers: First-time All-Star Jalen Williams also stepped up, posting 24.5 ppg and 2.5 spg in the Thunder’s four West Finals wins
- Playoff Clamps: On the other end, OKC’s defense has tightened the screws throughout the Playoffs, posting an NBA-best 104.7 DefRtg – 1.9 points better than its regular-season mark
- “That was our test,” said Williams on the Playoffs after winning the West. “When we’re put up with adversity … and it’s do-or-die moments, I think that’s where we grew up as a team.”
Now, OKC will face its toughest test yet – an Indy team with the same 12-4 Playoff record, fueled by resilience and clutch heroics – with the championship on the line.
3. SUPERSTAR SHOWDOWN: PLAYMAKING MASTER vs. SCORING KING
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images | Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images
One is this postseason’s most productive scorer.
The other is this postseason’s most prolific facilitator.
Superstars are often found on this stage. But rarely are a pair of foes pitted against each other in such a manner as this.
This year’s Finals will be only the fifth edition since 1984 that the Playoffs’ points per game leader and assists per game leader – among players with 10+ games played – face off.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Tyrese Haliburton are slated for that battle.
- Rumble Of Thunder: SGA (29.8 ppg) has tallied 11 outings of 30+ points on this Playoff run, tying Kevin Durant for the most in franchise history
- Blazing Pace: Haliburton (9.8 apg), meanwhile, has put up nine showings of 10+ assists this postseason, also good for a franchise-best
The two guards differ in how they lead their respective offenses, but both units have been dangerous with them at the helm.
- Foreground: SGA has sunk 163 shots – 2nd-most of anyone this postseason – with a usage rate of 31.5% through 16 contests thus far
- Background: Haliburton’s numbers reflect less-direct involvement in scoring. He’s made 109 in his own right, but has a 150+ lead for most passes in the Playoffs with 1209
Bigger Picture: Each of them adds winning value. Indiana’s 117.7 OffRtg ranks 2nd in the postseason, while Oklahoma City’s 115.9 qualifies as 3rd.
Ways in which they score also distinguish these stars from each other – both of whom are making their first Finals appearances at 26 years old or younger.
- Pick Your Poison: In these Playoffs, Haliburton has drained the 6th-most triples (38) while SGA is responsible for the 3rd-most points in the paint (188)
They’ve found the bottom of the net enough to bring their squads home when winning time arrives.
- Clutch Captains: Haliburton is 50.0% from the field on an 11-for-22 clip in the clutch during these Playoffs. SGA is one of four players averaging 4.0+ clutch points
- “He’s just a great player that stays present,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault on SGA. “He just plays the possession in front of him. He doesn’t really change his game.”
- “He’s amazing,” said Pascal Siakam on Haliburton. “We know he’s a pass-first kind of guy, but he also was able to get us big buckets whenever we need(ed) them.”
Now, the two stars with two unique games will meet in search of the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
4. EAST FINALS FRAMES: SNAPSHOTS OF AN EPIC SERIES
Finals week is upon us.
But before we dive into more stories, let’s relive a thrilling East Finals through a few of our favorite frames – from a legendary Game 1 at the Garden to Indy’s series-clinching win on Saturday.
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Al Bello/Getty Images
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
esse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
5. UNFORGETTABLE: DIRK’S GAME-WINNING LAYUP IN THE 2011 FINALS
Jordan’s shrug. Iverson’s stepover. Ray Allen’s 3. “Blocked by James.”
Everyone knows exactly where they were for these iconic Finals moments. Because on basketball’s biggest stage, moments become lasting memories – time capsules of raw emotions that stay with players and fans for a lifetime.
That’s why we’re tipping off Unforgettable Moments, a new series that revisits some of the greatest plays and memories from NBA Finals history. We’ll hear directly from the players and fans who lived through these game-changing moments, giving you an inside look at what made them so special.
Because these moments don’t just happen — they last forever, etched into basketball lore. And now, we get to relive them together.
Our first Unforgettable? Fourteen years ago to the day, in Game 2 of the 2011 Finals.
- The Moment: Down 15 in the 4th quarter and staring at a potential 2-0 deficit against the Heat, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs stormed back with a 20-5 run to tie the game late. Then with under 10 seconds left, this happened ⬇️
You know the play. But do you know the story from the man who made it?
Here’s how Dirk remembers his famous Game 2 winner:
“We were down big with a couple minutes to go, and this was a very vital comeback for us. I think if you go down 0-2 in the Finals there’s a pretty slim chance if you ever come back. So this was sort of our ‘We arrived in these Finals’ moment.
“The story here is I actually went too early for the layup, but we knew they had a foul to give. So the whole time I’m dribbling, I’m spinning. I’m thinking, ‘Okay, now I’m getting fouled.’ We already had a second play drawn up … and I spun — and I see the lane wide open and nobody is wanting to foul me.
“So I just took the layup and then, you see kind of everybody thinking they have a time out but they don’t … so everybody’s kind of scrambling around like chickens with their heads cut off.
“That was a big, big, big game for us to get in the series. You can see I’m a little bit in the zone afterwards. I don’t even know how to act. I don’t know how to be happy. I’m just standing there staring at people – I’m just so locked in … That was a fun year.”
The Mavs went on to win the series in six games – marking their first-ever NBA title – and Nowitzki was named the Finals MVP. | Relive the Wild Game 2 Ending Uncut.
Now, more Unforgettable Awaits.
