The NBA postseason is heating up with just four teams left standing. In the Eastern Conference finals, the New York Knicks will host the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden, tipping off Wednesday night.
The Western Conference finals began Tuesday night. The Minnesota Timberwolves jumped out to an early lead, but the Oklahoma City Thunder stormed back in the second half. Behind a dominant run, the Thunder took Game 1 with a convincing 114-88 win.
Skip Bayless, known for his bold takes, didn’t waste any time making a definitive prediction. Following Oklahoma City’s Game 1 victory, Bayless declared the Thunder the 2025 NBA champions.
Bayless rose to prominence at ESPN alongside Stephen A. Smith and later co-hosted "Undisputed" with Shannon Sharpe on Fox Sports 1. After parting ways with Fox in August 2024, Bayless has continued offering sports commentary independently.
His championship call came after a second-half explosion from the Thunder, who outscored Minnesota 70-40 after trailing 48-44 at halftime.
Former ESPN and Fox Sports host Skip Bayless.
Former ESPN and Fox Sports host Skip Bayless.
"The Skip Bayless Show"
Oklahoma City put on a clinic in Game 1, with four players scoring in double figures. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 31 points. Jalen Williams chipped in 19, Chet Holmgren added 14, and Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 12.
The Thunder dominated the regular season, finishing with 68 wins and a 35-6 home record. In the playoffs, they swept Memphis in the first round before edging the defending champion Denver Nuggets in a seven-game battle.
Game 2 of the series is set for 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday in Oklahoma City. The series will then shift to Minneapolis for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday.
While the West is already underway, the Eastern Conference finals begin with a matchup between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks.
Indiana finished the regular season 50-32 and has gone 8-2 in the playoffs. The Pacers are riding high after knocking off the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks went 51-31 in the regular season and have impressed in the postseason. They beat the Detroit Pistons and then stunned the Boston Celtics, both in six games.
The Eastern Conference series will alternate days, with a potential Game 7 scheduled for June 2. Wednesday's Game 1 begins at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised on TNT.