THE Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers — teams once overlooked, underestimated, or written off entirely — are the last ones standing.
Ask anyone on either side if criticism still fuels them, and you’ll likely get a quick and resounding “yes.” Thunder superstar and NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was taken 11th overall in his draft. Pacers floor general Tyrese Haliburton went 12th. Both teams feature key undrafted contributors. These rosters weren’t built on hype — they were built on grit.
“I’ll continue to tell you guys in certain moments that it doesn’t matter what people say, but it matters — and I enjoy it,” Haliburton said. “I think the greats try to find external motivation as much as they can and that’s something that’s always worked for me.”
The numbers speak volumes. Oklahoma City boasts the NBA’s best record this season. Indiana holds the second-best mark since Jan. 1, including the playoffs. Both teams stormed through the postseason with identical 12-4 records over the first three rounds.
Game 1 tips off Friday, June 6, 2025 (PH time) in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder — technically chasing their first championship under the current name — enter as heavy favorites. Though the franchise won it all in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics, this is a new era, with a new identity.
“Staying true to who we are is the reason why we’re here,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We’d be doing ourselves a disservice if we changed or tried to be something we’re not once we got here. We’ve had success doing so. If we want to keep having success, we have to be who we are. It’s organic. It’s nothing we have to think about or force. It’s just who we are, no matter the moment.”
Oklahoma City enters the Finals with an astounding 80-18 combined regular season and playoff record, including a jaw-dropping 29-1 against the Eastern Conference. Their 61 double-digit wins are the most by any team in any season in NBA history. They’re also the youngest team to reach the Finals in 48 years — with an average age just over 25.
Only four players in the series have prior NBA Finals experience. Indiana’s Pascal Siakam, who won a title with Toronto in 2019, and Oklahoma City’s Alex Caruso, a champion with the Lakers in 2020, are among them. / RSC