OKC Thunder Vs. Indiana Pacers

With just four more wins, the Oklahoma City Thunder will hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy and be crowned the best in the NBA. Matching up against the Indiana Pacers, it won’t be an easy task for the Thunder in this seven-game series of the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City has lost just four games in the playoffs thus far, sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, beating the Denver Nuggets in seven games in round two, then coming out on top over the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games last round in the Western Conference Finals.

Here’s everything you need to know about Oklahoma City’s NBA Finals series against Indiana.

How To Watch The 2025 NBA Finals

Game 1: Thursday, June 5 (7:30 p.m. CT) – ABC

Game 2: Sunday, June 8 (7:00 p.m. CT) – ABC

Game 3: Wednesday, June 11 (7:30 p.m. CT) – ABC

Game 4: Friday, June 13 (7:30 p.m. CT) – ABC

Game 5*: Monday, June 16 (7:30 p.m. CT) – ABC

Game 6*: Thursday, June 19 (7:30 p.m. CT) – ABC

Game 7*: Sunday, June 22 (7:00 p.m. CT) – ABC

^{*if necessary}

OKC Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers Regular Season Results

Oklahoma City won both matchups in the regular season against Indiana, which isn’t surprising given the Thunder went 29-1 against the Eastern Conference this season. Interestingly enough, Chet Holmgren missed both of these contests, making it difficult to draw much from these two games stylistically.

The first was the day after Christmas, with the Thunder winning by six points. The second took place in late March and Oklahoma City came out on top by 22. Although the Thunder dominated the regular season series, this is a clean slate and both teams are completely different at this point.

What To Watch For In The 2025 NBA Finals

This is expected to be a fast-paced series, as both teams like to push the ball and get out in transition. That could lend well to the Thunder’s strategy, given that oftentimes, speeding teams up can result in more turnovers. As such, it will be interesting to see if OKC plays its double-big lineup in fewer minutes and opts to go smaller than in past series. If the Thunder can win the turnover battle in the NBA Finals, there’s a very good chance that there’s a championship parade in Oklahoma City this month.

The Pacers’ offense will arguably be Oklahoma City’s toughest overall defensive test of the playoffs. Indiana’s offensive rating of 117.7 in the postseason will be the best of any team the Thunder has played yet.

The headliners of the series will be star guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton. While it’s expected both will have phenomenal showings, the better of the two will give their team a clear edge. From there, it comes down to the battle of the second options. Rising star Jalen Williams will look to out-duel Pascal Siakam, who has already won a championship as a primary piece in his career.

Both squads have deep rotations, so there will be plenty of other complimentary pieces who will need to step up and contribute. Keep an eye on the bench battle and which reserve unit can provide an edge. Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace will play significant roles in this series and will be tasked with slowing down key offensive players for the Pacers.

This is it. The winner of this series will officially be crowned NBA Champion. All it takes is four wins at this point, so every game will be the most important of the season for both teams as they come.