NBA Finals
Best-of-seven
Game 1: Indiana at OKC, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, ABC.
Game 2: Indiana at OKC, 7 p.m., Sunday, ABC.
Game 3: OKC at Indiana,7:30 p.m., Wednesday, ABC.
Game 4: OKC at Indiana, 7:30 p.m, Friday, June 13, ABC.
Game 5 (if necessary): Indiana at OKC, 7:30 p.m., Monday, June 16, ABC.
Game 5 (if necessary): OKC at Indiana, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 19, ABC.
Game 7 (if necessary): Indiana at OKC, 7 p.m., Sunday, June 22, ABC.
Knicks Pacers Basketball
Against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton converted on a remarkable shot to send Game 1 to overtime. On Thursday, Haliburton and the Pacers take aim at the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. AJ Mast, Associated Press
Predictions
People are also reading…
Tulsa World staff members share NBA Finals predictions:
Barry Lewis: Thunder in seven
This series will be closer than many anticipate and will go the distance as the puzzling national dislike for the Thunder increases. There won't be any 40-point blowouts on either side. The Thunder will need big performances from Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein to survive.
Juwan Lee: Thunder in five
The Pacers remind me of the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks – a deep, well-rounded unit that continues to beat more talented teams. However, OKC has greater talent and depth than the Pacers’ opponents in the East. The Thunder’s perimeter defense creates problems for Indiana.
Berry Tramel: Thunder in five
Thunder in four would make me look like I've drank the Kool-Aid. But I've drank the Kool-Aid. Indiana is a good team and a great story, but the Pacers made their mettle with a zombie Bucks team and then two foes (Cavs, Knicks) that don't guard you. The Thunder will guard you.
Bill Haisten: Thunder in six
In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden, Indiana’s fourth-quarter comeback was amazing. It would take four games of truly amazing offense for the Pacers to conquer the Thunder. Not happening. Since an April 5, 2024 loss at Indiana, Oklahoma City has prevailed in 30 of its last 31 meetings with Eastern Conference opponents.
Thunder Pacers Basketball
In two Oklahoma City Thunder victories over Indiana during the regular season, NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with scoring totals of 45 and 33 points. Michael Conroy, Associated Press
Finals spotlight
Postseason stat averages
Pacer leaders
Scoring: Pascal Siakam, 21.1 points per game.
Rebounds: Siakam, 5.8 per game.
3-point percentage: Aaron Nesmith, 50%.
Assists: Tyrese Haliburton, 9.8 per game.
Thunder leaders
Scoring: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 29.8 points per game.
Rebounds: Chet Holmgren, 8.6 per game.
3-point percentage: Alex Caruso, 42%.
Assists: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 6.9 per game.
Thunder Pacers Basketball
Coach Mark Daigneault and the Thunder are four wins away from bringing an NBA championship to Oklahoma. Darron Cummings, Associated Press
Finals personnel
Pascal Siakam, 6-8, ninth season, New Mexico State.
Tyrese Haliburton, 6-5, fifth season, Iowa State.
Andrew Nembhard, 6-5, third season, Gonzaga.
Myles Turner, 6-11, 10th season, Texas.
Aaron Nesmith, 6-5, fifth season, Vanderbilt.
Off the bench: Obi Toppin, 6-9, fifth season, Dayton; T.J. McConnell, 10th season, Arizona; Thomas Bryant, 6-10, eighth season, Indiana; Ben Sheppard, 6-6, second season, Belmont; Bennedict Mathurin, 6-6, third season, Arizona.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 6-6, seventh season, Kentucky.
Jalen Williams, 6-6, third season, Santa Clara.
Chet Holmgren, 7-1, third season, Gonzaga.
Isaiah Hartenstein, 7-0, sixth season, Germany.
Lu Dort, 6-4, sixth season, Arizona State.
* Off the bench: Alex Caruso, 6-5, eighth season, Texas A&M; Cason Wallace, 6-4, second season, Kentucky; Aaron Wiggins, 6-6, fourth season, Maryland; Jaylin Williams, 6-8, third season, Arkansas; Isaiah Joe, 6-5, fifth season, Arkansas; Kenrich Williams, 6-7, seventh season, TCU.
Thunder Pacers Basketball
By the end of this OKC-Indiana game played on Dec. 26, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 45 points on 15-of-22 shooting from the field and 11-of-11 shooting at the foul line. Michael Conroy, Associated Press
Indiana vs. OKC:
regular-season meetings
Thunder 120, Pacers 114
Dec. 26 at Indianapolis
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was remarkably efficient with 45 points on 15-of-22 shooting. OKC won after having trailed by 15 points during the first half. The Thunder committed only three turnovers.
Thunder 132, Pacers 111
March 29 at OKC
Oklahoma City got 41 points from its bench. Kenrich Williams and Isaiah Joe combined for 29, while SGA finished with 33.
Thunder Pacers Basketball
Each of the NBA Finals participants relies heavily on its bench. Representing the bench units in his photo are Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (left) and Thunder forward Kenrich Williams. Michael Conroy, Associated Press
Indiana Pacers’ history
It started in the ABA
In 1967-76, the Pacers were members of the American Basketball Association. Indiana was the ABA champion in 1970, 1972 and 1973. There were two additional appearances in the ABA Finals.
In 1976, the ABA dissolved as four of its teams were accepted into the National Basketball Association. Those teams: the Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and New York Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets).
Reggie Miller
In the 1987 NBA Draft, Navy big man David Robinson was selected by San Antonio with the first pick overall. Central Arkansas’ Scottie Pippen was taken fifth overall by Seattle and traded that night to Chicago. Taken 11th overall was a UCLA shooting guard – Reggie Miller – who spent the entirety of his 18-season NBA career with the Indiana Pacers.
Miller drove the Pacers to the 2000 NBA Finals and finished his career as Indiana’s career leader in several statistical categories. His career total of 25,279 nearly doubles Rik Smits’ next-best total. Miller’s total of 2,560 3-point buckets nearly triples the Pacers’ second-highest total (Danny Granger’s 964).
2000 NBA Finals
Against the Thunder, Indiana makes its second appearance in the NBA Finals. In 2000, the Shaq-and-Kobe Los Angeles Lakers were four-games-to-two winners over the Pacers. Shaquille O’Neal was voted the Finals MVP after getting 41 points and 12 rebounds in the Lakers’ Game 6 close-out victory.
Path to the Finals
Indiana Pacers
Seeded fourth in the Eastern Conference, Indiana recorded four-games-to-one series triumphs over Milwaukee in the opening round and top-seeded Cleveland in the second round.
At Madison Square Garden for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Aaron Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton led an unbelievable comeback from a 14-point deficit with less than three minutes remaining. The Pacers staggered the New York Knicks with a 138-135 overtime win, and Indiana would go on to a four-games-to-two series victory.
Oklahoma City Thunder
With an organization-record total of 68 regular-season wins, the Thunder was seeded No. 1 on the Western Conference bracket. There was a first-round sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies. In the Western Conference finals, OKC needed five games to finish the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The most difficult of the Western Conference tests was Oklahoma City’s second-round clash with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. In Game 5 played in OKC, and with the series tied at two games apiece, the Nuggets had a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead. Oklahoma City was in a danger zone – facing the possibility of taking a three-games-to-two series deficit back to Denver for Game 6. Lu Dort saved the Thunder with a flurry of three 3-point buckets in that Game 5 fourth period. OKC would prevail 112-105 in that game and 125-93 in Game 7.
2012 NBA Finals:
Thunder vs. Heat
In only its fourth season after moving from Seattle, the 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder swept defending champion Dallas in a first-round playoff series, knocked out the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the second round, and conquered San Antonio in six games in the Western Conference finals.
OKC advanced to an NBA Finals clash with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat.
The Thunder starters: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha. OKC’s primary bench pieces were NBA Sixth Man of the Year James Harden, Nick Collison and Derek Fisher.
By virtue of having had a better regular-season record, the Thunder had homecourt advantage in the Finals and would host Games 1 and 2.
Game 1: OKC 105, Miami 94
Oklahoma City shot 52% from the field and got a combined 63 points from Durant and Westbrook. There was a positive outcome but also a red flag: As Harden finished with twice as many fouls (four) as baskets (two), the Thunder bench contributed only 19 points.
Game 2: Miami 100, OKC 96
Durant converted on a late 3-pointer that pulled the Thunder to within two points. James appeared to have fouled Durant on a baseline jumper that could have tied the score with seven seconds left, but there was no whistle and no trip to the foul line. James finished his 32-point night with two free throws to ice a road win for the Heat.
Game 3: Miami 91, OKC 85
Oklahoma City had a solid night defensively, limiting the Heat to 38% shooting, but the Thunder offense was tepid. Harden was 2-of-10 on shots from the field. OKC mustered only 18 points during the fourth quarter.
Game 4: Miami 104, OKC 98
Westbrook’s special performance gave the Thunder a chance to steal a Game 4 road win, but OKC’s supporting cast was a no-show. While Westbrook scored 43 points on 20-of-32 shooting, Harden again was 2-of-10.
Game 5: Miami 121, OKC 106
OKC’s Durant, Westbrook and Harden combined for 70 points. Miami’s James, Wade and Bosh also combined for 70. The difference-maker was Heat reserve Mike Miller, who finished 7-of-8 on 3-pointers and totaled 23 points as Miami captured the NBA title with a four-games-to-one series victory. James was voted the Finals Most Valuable Player.
0 Comments
Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!