The Bob Cousy Trophy belongs to the Pacers for winning the East.
The Larry O’Brien Trophy is now four wins away, when Indy and Oklahoma City tip off the NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV, June 5 on ABC (8:30 ET).
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
June 1, 2025
Pacers Win East: Indiana ousts NY, returns to Finals for first time since 2000
Strength In Numbers: Pacers’ depth shines in series-clinching Game 6 win
First Look: The top two teams of 2025 meet with the championship on the line
Past To Present: How the 2025 Thunder resemble the last OKC team to reach the Finals
What They’re Saying: Hear from the Thunder as they prepare for the NBA Finals
BUT FIRST … ⏰
The 2025 NBA Finals tip off in four days…
The 2025 NBA Finals are set with West champion Thunder and East champion Pacers tipping off their best-of-seven series on Thursday to crown the league champion.
1. PACERS RACE PAST KNICKS, REACH FIRST FINALS SINCE 2000
The location was different, but the result was the same.
For the second time in franchise history, the Indiana Pacers have reached the NBA Finals – and they did so by defeating the rival New York Knicks in Game 6 of the East Finals.
- In 2000, the Pacers punched their ticket with a road win at Madison Square Garden
- 25 years later, the Pacers were able to celebrate the accomplishment in front of their home fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Pacers 125, Knicks 108: Pascal Siakam (31 pts, 5 reb, 3 blk) and Tyrese Haliburton (21 pts, 13 ast, 3 stl) led seven Pacers in double figures as Indiana dominated the 2nd half (67-54) to clinch the series in six games. | Recap | 5 Takeaways
- Siakam MVP: Siakam earned the Larry Bird Trophy as Eastern Conference Finals MVP after averaging 24.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.3 spg, 52.4% FG, 50% 3P in the series to reach his second NBA Finals after winning the 2019 title in Toronto
- “We brought in a champion.“ – Myles Turner on Siakam’s impact since he arrived in Indiana last season
- “I can’t wait to go see Larry, I missed him.” – Siakam on returning to the NBA Finals after a five-year drought
- Haliburton Delivers: Tyrese joined Steph Curry, Scottie Pippen and Magic Johnson as the only players to total 20+ pts, 10+ ast and 3+ stl in a clinching win to go to the Finals. | Haliburton 3 ices the game
- Decade In The Making: Turner (11 pts) – the longest-tenured Pacer since being drafted 11th overall in 2015 – spoke about his journey to the Finals. “I’ve spent a third of my life here, man. It’s crazy.”
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Key Run: After closing a back-and-forth 1st half on a 7-4 spurt to take a four-point lead into the break, Indy scored the first nine points of the 2nd half for the first double-digit lead of Game 6 for either team.
- All Gas, No Brakes: Indiana continued to push the pace (Playoff-high 25 fast break points) and utilized great ball movement (30 assists) to create open looks for their stars and role players alike as the Pacers hit a series-high 17 3s
- 30 Is The Magic Number: The Pacers improved to 36-9 on the season (and 5-1 in the Playoffs) when dishing out 30+ assists
- Party Of Two: The Pacers joined the 2018-19 Warriors as the only teams in NBA history to average 115+ points and 28+ assists in the first three rounds of the Playoffs
- Elite Offense: The Pacers posted their eighth 120+ point game of this Playoffs run, tying themselves from last season and the 2016-17 Warriors for most in the last 35 years – and they have at least four more games to add to it
- The Next Step: After being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago by the eventual champion Celtics, the Pacers completed their journey back to the Finals stage for the first time in a quarter century
Justin Casterline/Getty Images
NY’s Run Ends: For the second straight season, the Knicks’ season ends with a Playoff loss to the Pacers – although a round later this time around.
- Karl-Anthony Towns (22 pts, 14 reb) and OG Anunoby (24 pts, 1st half buzzer-beater) led the Knicks, who got 19 points and seven assists from Brunson in their season finale
- Respect Among Rivals: After a hard-fought series, the Pacers and Knicks showed love to one another once the buzzer sounded
What’s Next: The Eastern Conference champs will head to Oklahoma City to face the Western Conference champion Thunder in the NBA Finals. Game 1 is set for Thursday (8:30 ET, ABC).
2. PACERS’ DEPTH SHINES IN SERIES-CLINCHING WIN
Justin Casterline/Getty Images
In the highest-stakes game of the season (so far), the Pacers got huge performances beyond their All-Star duo of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam to close out the Knicks at home on Saturday.
Obi Toppin: Averaging 7.2 ppg entering Game 6, the former Knick scored a series-high 18 points with two 3s after hitting just one 3 in the first five games combined.
Andrew Nembhard: In addition to hounding Jalen Brunson on defense all night long, his 14 points were his highest since scoring 15 in Game 1.
Thomas Bryant: Entering Game 6 with a total of four points over three games, Bryant hit two of his three 3s during a 9-2 run in the 3rd quarter to help Indy begin to pull away and ignite Caitlin Clark and the Indy faithful.
Aaron Nesmith: A barometer for the series, Nesmith scored 10 points in Game 6 as Indy went 4-0 when he reached double figures, including his Game 1 barrage of 3s to fuel the Pacers’ comeback win.
Myles Turner: Despite battling foul trouble that limited him to 21 minutes, the vet scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting with two 3s to keep the floor open for Haliburton and Co.
Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
In a six-game series that was separated by a total of 11 points (Pacers 701, Knicks 690), the Pacers finished with a 93-point advantage in bench points (210-117).
“I’m really proud of this group.” – Haliburton on getting contributions up and down the roster in the clinching game
3. FIRST LOOK: THUNDER VS. PACERS IN THE 2025 NBA FINALS
“It’s two teams and it’s one goal.“
Seven simple words from Pacers coach Rick Carlisle on the stakes of the upcoming NBA Finals after his team clinched the East to set up a matchup with the Thunder beginning on Thursday in Oklahoma City.
- 1 vs. 4: This marks the second Finals matchup between a 1-seed (Thunder) and a 4-seed (Pacers) since the expanded Playoff format in 1984
- The Last Time? The 2010 Finals between the 1-seed Lakers and the 4-seed Celtics, which L.A. won in seven games
- History In Play: The Pacers can become the first 4-seed to win the title since Playoff expansion
But this isn’t a typical 1 vs. 4 matchup. Since the calendar flipped to 2025, the Thunder and the Pacers have been the best two teams in the entire NBA.
Oklahoma City swept the two-game regular season series – overcoming a 15-point deficit behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 45 points on Dec. 26 and a 21-point win behind SGA’s 33 points on March 29.
- SGA On Fire: Shai averaged 39.0 ppg, 8.0 apg, 7.0 rpg, 3.5 3pg, 55.6% FG, 63.6% 3P in two games against Indy – his second-highest scoring average against any opponent this season
- Beast vs. East: The Thunder finished the regular season with an NBA-record 29-1 record against Eastern Conference teams
At the center of this matchup is the All-NBA point guard clash between OKC’s SGA and Indiana’s Haliburton.
- The Scorer: SGA – the Kia NBA MVP – won his first scoring title this season (32.7 ppg) and enters the Finals as the top scorer in the Playoffs (29.8 ppg) among players with over five games played
- The Playmaker: Haliburton finished third in assists this season (9.2 apg), increasing his production in the postseason, leading all players with 9.8 dimes
Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
Both players are the fulcrum of their respective offenses – which both rank top three in the Playoffs entering the Finals.
- Pacers Edge: Indiana ranks 2nd in the postseason with a 117.7 offensive rating, while OKC ranks 3rd at 115.9
- Thunder Edge: OKC’s advantage comes on the other end of the court as the Thunder owned the top defense during the regular season (106.6) and tightened it in the Playoffs (104.7)
We’ll dive into every aspect of this series over the next four days heading into Game 1 on Thursday.
4. CONNECTIONS BETWEEN OKC’S 2025 & 2012 FINALS TEAMS
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When the final buzzer sounded inside Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, it became official – the Thunder had reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012.
Much has changed over the past 13 years.
The Thunder return to The Finals stage with an entirely new roster and new coaching staff, constructed over the past six years mostly through the NBA Draft along with key trades and free agent signings.
While the names may be different – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren in the place of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden – there are some key similarities.
- Scoring Trios: The 2025 Thunder are the first team to reach the NBA Finals with their top three scorers age 27 or younger since the 2012 Thunder
- SGA 🤝 KD: Both teams were led by that season’s NBA scoring champion – Durant in 2012 (28.0 ppg) and Gilgeous-Alexander in 2025 (32.7 ppg)
- J-Dub 🤝 Russ: Both teams had a third-year lottery pick as their 2nd leading scorer – Westbrook in 2012 (23.6 ppg) and Williams in 2025 (21.6) – with both averaging 1.6 steals and top 10 in fast break points in the Playoffs
- Chet 🤝 Serge: Both teams featured a young big man ranked in the top 5 in blocks that postseason – Ibaka in 2012 (3.0) and Holmgren in 2025 (2.0)
- Key Additions: Both teams added a veteran center (Kendrick Perkins in 2012, Isaiah Hartenstein in 2025) and a former champion guard (Derek Fisher in 2012, Alex Caruso in 2025) to the mix in order to fill out their roster
The similarities go beyond roster construction as the resulting talent translated into production on the court.
- High-Powered Offenses: The 2012 Thunder ranked 2nd in offensive rating (108.4), while OKC’s 2025 squad ranked 3rd (119.2)
- Disrupting Defenses: In the 2012 Playoffs, OKC ranked 2nd in steals (8.7 spg) and 3rd in blocks (6.9 bpg). In the 2025 Playoffs, the Thunder lead in steals (10.8 spg) and rank 5th in blocks (5.6 bpg)
- Home Dominance: Both teams only lost one home game during their entire Playoff run – 9-1 in 2012, 8-1 in 2025 – posting the best home record in the Playoffs in their respective years
Similar to 2012, the 2025 Finals will open in Oklahoma City (8:30 ET, ABC). In 2012, the Thunder won Game 1 behind KD’s 36 points, but fell in five games to the Miami Heat
The 2025 Thunder seek one key point of separation from their predecessors – as they look to secure the first championship in the franchise’s OKC era.
5. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: OKC PREPS FOR FINALS
After securing their spot in the Finals on Wednesday, the Thunder have a full week off to prepare.
Before finding out they would be facing the Pacers for the title, the Thunder met with the media on Saturday to discuss their journey to the Finals, memories of the last time OKC played on this stage and the importance of their home crowd entering Game 1.
- “A group of special guys that are willing to sacrifice, that are willing to learn, they want to get better, they have the desire to grow.” – Alex Caruso (the oldest member of the Thunder at 31) on his young Thunder teammates
- “Just be who we are. Play the way we play. Be the team we’ve been all season … We can’t be less than who we are, but we don’t have to be more. We just have to be who we are.” – Coach Mark Daigneault’s message to his players entering their first Finals
- “All the kids were on the OKC bandwagon back then… they had players we all looked up to.” – Chet Holmgren on Oklahoma City’s last Finals team in 2012 when he was playing AAU ball
- “I walk out there 3 minutes before the game… they’re standing, their t-shirts are on… can’t say enough about the home court, can’t say enough about the fans…” – Daigneault on the OKC faithful
- ”Obviously, when we’re up double digits it’s easy to cheer, but in times when we’ve needed a boost, they’re there for us and those are the times I think makes this crowd so special.” – Caruso on what makes OKC’s crowd unique
