One team hasn’t been here in 25 years. The other has waited 13 years as they’ve watched a great former team disintegrate and a new one take its place. The Oklahoma City Thunder was the best team in the NBA for the entire season. Now, they get to finish the job as they face off against the Indiana Pacers in a Finals matchup that is truly rewarding the two best teams of the last two months. Here is our 2025 NBA Finals preview.
The Teams
Oklahoma City wasn’t just the one-seed in the West; they were the best team in the NBA. OKC went on an absolute tear in the 2024-25 season. They have the league MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They have incredible length in Chet Holmgren. They have an excellent defender in Lu Dort. This team is healthy, young and hungry, and ready to claim a championship for the state of Oklahoma.
However, the Pacers are a gnat. One that never goes away and sometimes makes you so angry, you want to give up. They have a head coach who has already won a ring in Rick Carlisle. They’ve got a legit superstar who came up in the clutchest moments in Tyrese Halliburton. And they have one of the best stretch bigs in the NBA in Pascal Siakam who can truly beat you from anywhere on the court.
These are two small market teams, and ABC is probably not excited about that. It’s better for business when a team like Boston, New York, Los Angeles, or Golden State are the ones in the Finals. But this is the best pure matchup of basketball we are going to get in the Finals and it’s a good thing that these two made it. We will get an entertaining and dramatic series.
Keys to the Win
Thunder: Lu Dort needs to be the most valuable player in this series for the Thunder. The Pacers will score points; they scored 114 or more in three of four wins against New York and put up 125 in a close out game. Halliburton and Siakam are a lethal offensive duo. Dort is one of the best defenders in the league, he will need to hone in on Halliburton and make life uncomfortable for him at all times. If they throw him off their game, they’ll have success.
Pacers: It’s all about defense for Indiana as well. While they are a great offensive team, their defensive unit will have to follow suit against one of the historically great offenses we have seen in some time. A staggering stat is that OKC reached 30 points in six of the eight quarters and averaged 126 per game in the regular season against Indiana.
Prediction
The Pacers have been the most fun team to watch in these NBA playoffs. No opposing team lead has felt too far away for them. However, this Thunder team is just too strong. And being healthy is rare for any team with this many superstars. I have OKC claiming their first NBA title in six games.