June 5 (UPI) — Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers know they are major underdogs in the 2025 NBA Finals, but relish the task of running through MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the “historically great” Oklahoma City Thunder.
Game 1 will tip off at 8:30 p.m. EDT Thursday in Oklahoma City. The best-of-seven-game series will air on ABC.
“They’re a great team,” point guard Haliburton told reporters. “They’re historically great on both sides of the ball. They have the MVP. I mean, there’s so many different things you could name down the list of why they are so great at what they do, why they’re such a great team.
“If we were to win a championship, I don’t want to win any other way. I don’t want to go around or over. I want to go through.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s regular-season points leader, and the Thunder’s excellent roster broke several records during the regular season, winning a franchise-best 68 games while setting new league marks for the most double-digit wins (54) and highest point differential. They also went a record 29-1 against Eastern Conference teams.
They didn’t lose four games in any seven-game stretch so far this season or postseason.
“We have to acknowledge the things that are different,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “There’s a lot of different elements around the game. We also have to understand the things that are the same.
“When the ball goes up in the air, the game is game is going to come down to the same things. Whether or not you win or lose is going to come down to the same things.
“It’s OK to acknowledge it’s going to feel a little different outside the lines, but we have to understand it’s going to be the same inside the lines and that has to be our focus.”
The Thunder led the NBA in defensive efficiency and turnover rate, but have been even better in the playoffs in both. They logged the most steals per game and fewest turnovers among teams that advanced past the first round of the playoffs. Their postseason opponents shot a league-worst 42.6%.
“They’re well-coached,” Haliburton said. “They just do everything so well. There’s no shortcuts to beating this team. We know the odds are stacked against us. It is what it is. We want to be here. We want to play against the best. This is the best. We look forward to the challenge as a group.
“I’m excited to be here. Obviously, the Finals is a very special thing, something I wanted to be a part of my whole life. To be here means the world. I’m just taking it all in, soaking it all in. Really excited for this moment.”
The Pacers and Thunder rank second and third, respectively, in points per game this postseason. The Pacers, who were just 16-18 through their first 34 games of the season, are riding momentum onto the NBA’s biggest stage.
Haliburton, the top assist (9.8 per game) man in the playoffs, helps facilitate an offense that leads the league in 3-point percentage, field goal percentage and assists this postseason.
The Pacers, who had seven players average at least 10 points per game during the regular season, will likely lean on that offensive depth to combat the Thunder’s waves of elite defenders.
“Every team has their strengths and their weaknesses,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They’re a very fast team. I think, like, above all, they understand how they’re playing and they’re very, like, stubborn in their approach. They kind of like grind you with the way they play. They wear you down.
“You don’t get here without being a really good team on both ends. They’re that. We know that coming into the game. But yeah, they know their identity and they stick to it, no matter what.”
The Pacers are seeking their first NBA Finals crown, while the Thunder are vying for their first title since the franchise — formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics — relocated to Oklahoma City. The SuperSonics beat the Washington Bullets for the 1979 title.
“Staying true to who we are is the reason why we’re here,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We’d be doing ourselves as disservice if we changed or tried to be something worry 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.”
Game 2 will tip off at 8 p.m. Sunday in Oklahoma City. The series will shift to Indianapolis on Wednesday and June 13 for Game 3 and Game 4, respectively. Game 5, if necessary, will be June 16 in Oklahoma City.
“We’re aware what’s expected here,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “So, we’ve got a lot of work cut out for us. A lot of our guys have been through a lot of situations where they’ve been underdogs in the past. It’s simply going to come down to us being able to play our game at the best possible level.
“We’re going to need to take care of the ball because these guys turn people over at an historic rate, and we’re going to have to make some shots.”
NBA Finals
All times EDT
Thursday
Game 1: Pacers at Thunder at 8:30 p.m. in Oklahoma City
Sunday
Game 2: Pacers at Thunder at 8 p.m. in Oklahoma City
Wednesday
Game 3: Thunder at Pacers at 8:30 p.m. in Indianapolis
June 13
Game 4: Thunder at Pacers at 8:30 p.m. in Indianapolis
June 16
Game 5 (if necessary): Pacers at Thunder at 8:30 p.m. in Oklahoma City
June 19
Game 6 (if necessary): Thunder at Pacers at 8:30 p.m. in Indianapolis
June 22
Game 7 (if necessary): Pacers at Thunder at 8 p.m. in Oklahoma City
