A Preview Of The 2025 NBA Finals
After 82 regular-season matches, followed by post-season play-ins and playoffs, we now know that it will be the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers that will contest the 2025 NBA Finals.
This best-of-seven series will determine which of the two teams will be declared the official NBA
Champions and etch their name into the history books by lifting the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy!
Let’s now take a closer look at how both teams reached the NBA Finals.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Coach – Mark Daigneault
Starters
- Guard – 2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Guard – 5. Luguentz Dort
- Center – 55. Isaiah Hartenstein
- Forward – 8. Jalen Williams
- Forward – 7. Chet Holmgren
Replacements
- Alex Caruso
- Cason Wallace
- Aaron Wiggins
- Kenrich Williams
- Isaiah Joe
- Ajay Mitchell
- Jaylin Williams
- Ousmane Dieng
- Dillon Jones
Regular Season Record
Played – 82
Won – 68
Lost – 14
Percentage – 0.829
Conference Ranking – 1st (Western)
NBA Ranking – 1st
Post-Season Results (Seedings in brackets)
Playoffs – v Memphis Grizzlies (8) – W 4-1
Championship Semi Finals – v Denver Nuggets (4) – W 4-3
Conference Finals – v Minnesota Timberwolves (6) – W 4-1
Key Player – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Winner of the NBA MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander has enjoyed a fantastic season for the Thunder, averaging 33 points per game, five rebounds, and six assists.
Indiana Pacers
Coach – Rick Carlisle
Starters
- Guard – 0. Tyrese Haliburton
- Guard – 2. Andrew Nembhard
- Center – 33. Myles Turner
- Forward – 43. Pascal Siakam
- Forward – 23. Aaron Nesmith
Replacements
- Obi Toppin
- Ben Sheppard
- T.J. McConnell
- Thomas Bryant
- Benedict Mathurin
- Jarace Walker
- Johnny Furphy
- James Johnson
Regular Season Record
Played – 82
Won – 50
Lost – 32
Percentage – 0.610
Conference Ranking – 4th (Eastern)
NBA Ranking – 1st
Post-Season Results (Seedings in brackets)
Playoffs – v Milwaukee Bucks (5) – W 4-1
Championship Semi Finals – v Cleveland Cavaliers (1) – W 4-1
Conference Finals – v New York Knicks (3) – W 4-2
Key Player – Tyrese Haliburton
While Pascal Siakam has been outstanding in the post-season, it is Haliburton who is the heartbeat of the team and who will likely be their main contributor in the Finals against the Thunder.
Past Meetings
The teams have met twice this past season and on both occasions the Oklahoma City Thunder were victorious, winning 120-114 on the road on 26th December 2024 and then on 29th March, they had an easier night beating the Pacers 132-111 at home.
The Thunder also hold the edge in regular season games with 55 wins compared to the Pacers 46 victories.
This will be the first time the two teams have met in the Playoffs.
Latest Betting Odds
The bookmakers have the Oklahoma City Thunder as the huge favourites to win the NBA Finals. Bet365 currently have odds as short as 1.14 on the Thunder winning the series, while the Indiana Pacers are rated 6.00 to win the Larry O’Brien trophy.
NBA Finals 2025 Schedule
The full schedule for the seven possible matches between the Thunder and Pacers is as follows:
- Match 1 – Friday 6th June (1.30 am) in Oklahoma
- Match 2 – Monday 9th June (1 am) in Oklahoma
- Match 3 – Thursday 12th June (1.30 am) in Indiana
- Match 4 – Saturday 14th June (1.30 am) in Indiana
- Match 5 – Tuesday 17th June (1.30 am) in Oklahoma
- Match 6 – Friday 20th June (1.30 am) in Indiana
- Match 7 – Friday 23rd June (1 am) in Oklahoma
Matches 5, 6 and 7 will only be played if required. The series ends when one team reaches four wins.
Where Can I Watch the NBA Finals?
BBC TV will cover the NBA Finals on their iPlayer service and their website. The games will also be shown Live on satellite TV channel TNT Sports and also on Discovery+.
