The NBA Finals matchup is set as the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers are the last two teams remaining in the NBA Playoffs. Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers took down the New York Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in just five games during the Western Conference Finals. SGA and the Thunder and heavy favorites in this series, but Haliburton and the Pacers are used to being the underdogs.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player in the NBA during the regular season, and he was awarded his first MVP just a couple of weeks ago. He hasn't skipped a beat during the playoffs, which is why the Thunder have cruised all the way to the NBA Finals. The playoffs are a different beast in terms of intensity and defense, but SGA hasn't missed a beat. He has dominated throughout the postseason, and he is the favorite to win Finals MVP.
SGA was already given the NBA MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP, and he is coming for more. He is the best player in this series, and it's going to be exciting to see how he finishes off this historic season. Here are three SGA predictions for the NBA Finals:
SGA will lead the series in scoring
Out of every single player in the NBA Finals, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will score the most points. Both teams have a lot of talent, but when it comes to consistency, there isn't anyone like SGA. For the Pacers, we have seen numerous players step up in different games to anchor the team to a victory, but even Tyrese Haliburton has had off nights. A player that hasn't been off? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He is going to show up every night, and he is going to light up the box score. No one in the NBA Finals is going to score more points than SGA.
SGA will win NBA Finals MVP
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates with Magic Johnson West Conference Finals MVP trophy after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game five to win the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already won MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP, so he is one award away from sweeping the MVP slate. After leading the NBA Finals in scoring, he is going to get it done. When it comes to superstars in the NBA Finals, there isn't a player like SGA. He is the best player that will be on the floor, and it will show night in and night out. When the series comes to an end and the MVP is announced, SGA will be the player receiving the award.
SGA will lead the Thunder to a championship
The Thunder are heavy favorites in this series, but it isn't going to be as easy as some people think. The Pacers are used to being the underdogs as not many people gave them a chance when they went up against the #1 team in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Indiana was also the underdog in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks, but they found a way to get past both of those opponents. This will be a good series, but SGA and the Thunder will get it done.
Indiana is going to give the Thunder a good fight, but it won't be enough. SGA and OKC will be too much for them to handle, and they will end up winning the series in six games to capture the first championship in franchise history.
How the Thunder got here
It's been an exciting journey through the NBA Playoffs for OKC, and aside from a scare against the Denver Nuggets, it's been a relatively stress-free run to the NBA Finals.
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The Thunder opened up their NBA Playoffs run with a series against the Memphis Grizzlies, and this one was never in doubt. The Grizzlies played well during their two games at home, but they didn't play well enough to earn any wins in the series. The Thunder cruised to an easy 4-0 win to advance to the second round.
Up next for the Thunder was the Denver Nuggets, and this is where things got dicey for OKC. Denver found a way to steal game one on the road, and that set things up for an exciting series. The Thunder clawed back with a road win of their own, and this back-and-forth battle ended up going to seven games. The Thunder were the home team in Game 7, and they were able to fend off the Nuggets to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder didn't have a lot of trouble advancing to the NBA Finals as they took down the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games. After cruising to an easy 2-0 lead, Minnesota did make things interesting in Game 3 with a dominant win at home, but SGA took over during the next two games and made sure that the Thunder were going to make it to the NBA Finals.
Now, the Thunder are just four wins away from glory as they get ready to start their series against the Pacers.
How the Pacers got here
The Pacers' run to the NBA Finals has been a lot more surprising. Everyone expected the Thunder to make it this far, but no one gave Indiana a chance.
Indiana started its run with a series against the Milwaukee Bucks. There were some tight games in this series, but the Pacers ended up only needing five games to advance. The Bucks blew a seven-point lead with under one minute to go in Game 5.
The Pacers were expected to lose to the Cavaliers in the second round as Cleveland was the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but again, it took the Pacers just five games to advance. Nobody saw that coming, but the oddsmakers still weren't taking the Pacers seriously.
Indiana was once again the underdog in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks, and to be fair, New York did take the Pacers further than any other team as the series lasted six games. Still, it was another impressive series win, and Indiana is now four wins away from a championship.
Both teams are coming into the NBA Finals with 12-4 playoff records. These teams are hot, and it's going to be a good series. Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Pacers and Thunder will go down on Thursday night at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The game will get underway at 7:30 CT, and it will be airing on ABC. The Thunder are currently favored by 9.5 points.