The Indiana Pacers' long-awaited return to the NBA Finals hit a turbulent patch when tornado warnings and severe storms forced their flight to detour and delayed their arrival in Oklahoma City by 3.5 hours.
The Indiana Pacers waited 25 years to return to the NBA Finals — and then waited a few more hours just to get there.
Indiana Pacers / Schedule
On Tuesday, severe weather disrupted the Pacers' travel plans. Initially headed to Oklahoma City, their charter flight was diverted to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
After refueling there, the plane took a longer route to avoid another storm before finally landing in Oklahoma City about 3.5 hours late.
When the team arrived around 7 p.m. local time, the skies were clear — a big change from just an hour earlier.
Forecasters had issued tornado warnings, flood watches, and severe thunderstorm watches for Oklahoma City and surrounding areas Tuesday afternoon, just as the Pacers' flight was taking off from Indianapolis.
The flight diversion caused delays at Oklahoma City's airport, with heavy rain and strong winds disrupting arrivals and departures.
Nearby, a tornado was spotted in Norman, Oklahoma — about 20 miles south of Oklahoma City and close to the University of Oklahoma campus — while the Pacers waited in Tulsa, roughly 120 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
The NBA Finals series begins Thursday night in Oklahoma City. It's the Pacers' first finals appearance since 2000 and the first for the Thunder since 2012.
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