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We have finally reached the NBA Finals, where the Oklahoma City Thunder will be taking on the Indiana Pacers. Neither team have won the Championship in their current guise, so both will be desperate to take their maiden trophy home.
The Thunder come into the Finals as the team to beat. They entered the play-offs as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and have beaten the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves on their way. The Thunder were many people’s favourites to fight for the title, and have lived up to people’s perceptions.
The underdogs of the finals series are the Indiana Pacers. They entered the play-offs as a No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and were somewhat overlooked. No one is looking away now after dispatching the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks.
The Finals kick off this week and are sure to be an unbelievable series.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers match schedule
• Game 1: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers - Paycom Center, Oklahoma City - 06/06/2025 - 1:30am BST
• Game 2: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers - Paycom Center, Oklahoma City - 09/06/2025 - 1:00am BST
• Game 3: Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder - Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis - 12/06/2025 - 1:30am BST
• Game 4: Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder - Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis - 14/06/2025 - 1:30am BST
Potential Game 5: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers - Paycom Center, Oklahoma City - 17/06/2025 - 1:30am BST
Potential Game 6: Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder - Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis - 20/06/2025 - 1:30am BST
Potential Game 7: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers - Paycom Center, Oklahoma City - 23/06/2025 - 1:00am BST
Thunder team news
The Thunder will only be without Nikola Topic when they start the Finals. Topic has not even made his debut for the Thunder yet, after he was the 12th overall pick by OKC in the 2024 draft. An ACL injury has kept him out all this time, but he has recently returned to practice and may even be involved on court for the Thunder in the Summer League, which starts in July.
Pacers team news
It was announced on June 2nd that Pacers forward Jarace Walker will, at least, miss the first two games of the NBA Finals. Walker injured his right ankle early in the fourth quarter against the Knicks in the series-clinching victory.
The only other Pacers injury is to reserve centre Isaiah Jackson, who suffered a torn achilles back in November 2024 and has not been seen since.
Where to watch on TV or stream online for free?
UK fans can watch the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers either on the NBA League Pass or TNT Sports. The standard NBA League Pass is £18.99 monthly and can be watched online. TNT Sports is available through discovery+, which can be watched online, on the app, on your smart TV or your games console.
Thunder vs. Pacers form, H2H and statistics
The Thunder have been in great form in the play-offs and started with a sweep of the Grizzlies in the Western Conference quarter-finals. They were taken to the brink against the Nuggets, having to win in Game 7 in the semi-finals.
They were back to strong form against the Timberwolves, winning the series 4-1 and are still favourites to win the final.
Pacers won their first quarter-final against the Bucks 4-1, before winning the semi-final against the Cavaliers by the same scoreline. They then had their big Eastern Conference Final match against rivals the Knicks. Despite the Knicks looking like they may come back into the series, the Pacers won 4-2, their place in the NBA Finals, and bragging rights.
Now the two teams meet for the third time this season, and the Thunder have the mental advantage there, winning the first two. When the Pacers welcomed the Thunder to Indianapolis in November, the Thunder won 120-114, before comprehensively winning 132-111 in Oklahoma City.
This series is being billed as the top-tier defence of the Thunder against the efficient offence of the Pacers.
The defence of OKC meant they had the best point differential ever in the NBA regular season (plus-12.9 PPG) and even have the best point differential for any team heading into the Finals at plus-10.8 since the Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors back in 2017.
The Pacers' attack has been on fire in the play-offs, leading all teams with a 40.1 per cent 3-point mark, showing how they could win the whole thing.
Thunder - Pacers: predictions and betting odds
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the big favourites at bet365 to take home their first NBA title as the Thunder. They are down at 4/17 to win outright compared to the Pacers at 13/4.
Odds correct at time of writing. Subject to change