The NBA Finals are one of the biggest spectacles in sports, and this season’s event is fast approaching. The Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers matchup is the culmination of weeks of tough knockout competition, as the entire league has been whittled down to the last two teams standing.
Now, it’s all eyes on who will be crowned champions in the best-of-seven series, which will test the mental resolve and physical stamina of the players. The NBA Finals are the place where legends are created and dynasties are forged – here, we look ahead to a brilliant series as the Western and Eastern champions step into battle.
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2025 NBA Finals schedule
With the NBA Finals being a best-of-seven series, a minimum of four games will be played to decide the winner. As many games as needed will be played after that until the series is settled. The schedule for the 2025 NBA Finals is as follows:
- Game 1: Pacers at Thunder (Thursday 5th June, 8:30pm ET)
- Game 2: Pacers at Thunder (Sunday 8th June, 8:00pm ET)
- Game 3: Thunder at Pacers (Wednesday 11th June, 8:30pm ET)
- Game 4: Thunder at Pacers (Friday 13th June, 8:30pm ET)
- Game 5: Pacers at Thunder, (Monday 16th June, 8:30pm ET)
- Game 6: Thunder at Pacers (Thursday 19th June, 8:30pm ET)
- Game 7: Pacers at Thunder (Sunday 22nd June, 8:00pm ET)
How we got here
The teams must first battle through an enormously long and testing 82-game regular season, which decides who gets through to the knockouts. Eight teams from each conference (West and East) head to the First Round of action in the playoffs.
Regular-season performances are not just about getting through to the playoffs, because home-court advantage in the NBA Finals is awarded to the team with the better regular-season record.
What does home advantage mean in a best-of-seven series? It means that the team with the home advantage hosts Games 1 and 2, and then, if necessary, Games 5 and 7. So, there is a significant boost this year for Oklahoma, particularly if the series goes to a deciding Game 7.
Last 10 NBA Finals results
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Score |
| 2024 | Boston Celtics | Dallas Mavericks | 4-1 |
| 2023 | Denver Nuggets | Miami Heat | 4-1 |
| 2022 | Golden State Warriors | Boston Celtic | 4-2 |
| 2021 | Milwaukee Bucks | Phoenix Suns | 4-2 |
| 2020 | LA Lakers | Miami Heat | 4-2 |
| 2019 | Toronto Raptors | Golden State Warriors | 4-2 |
| 2018 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-0 |
| 2017 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-1 |
| 2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Golden State Warriors | 4-3 |
| 2015 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-2 |
A brief history of the NBA Finals
The history of the NBA Finals dates back to 1947, when it was contested as the BAA Finals (Basketball Association of America). The Philadelphia Warriors beat the Chicago Stags 4-1 in the league’s first Finals. A couple of years later, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA.
Even then, the title of the series didn’t become known as the NBA Finals until 1986. The first team to claim the NBA Finals title were the Minneapolis Lakers, who beat the Syracuse Nationals in six games. The Lakers created a dynasty in the early era of the NBA Finals as they won four of the first five editions following the name change.
The Boston Celtics from the 1950s and 1960s are remembered as one of the most dominant dynasties in professional sports, winning eight consecutive NBA titles and 11 in 13 seasons during their prime.
NBA Finals Fun Fact: Half of the last 10 NBA Finals have been settled by a 4-2 scoreline, but the last two have been won 4-1.
Who currently holds the title?
The Boston Celtics are the reigning NBA champions and will be for a short while longer until a new champion is crowned in June. Their 4-1 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in last year’s NBA Finals gave the Celtics an unprecedented 18th championship title, and their first since 2008.
Who were the NBA 2024/25 pre-season favourites?
The Boston Celtics were frontrunners to pull off a repeat title this year, coming in off the back of such a dominating season, and with the core of that successful team still together. However, the NY Knicks defeated them 4-2 in a high-profile Eastern Conference Semifinal clash.
The Knicks were also among the crop of preseason frontrunners, with only Boston and Oklahoma at shorter quotes. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks were among the preseason main pack of chasers. The Cavs and Nuggets reached the NBA Playoffs, but last year’s runners-up, the Dallas Mavericks, failed to even get to the postseason.
NBA 2024/25 pre-season odds
- Boston Celtics: 3.50
- Oklahoma City Thunder: 3.65
- New York Knicks: 10.00
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 12.00
- Denver Nuggets: 14.00
- Dallas Mavericks: 15.00
- Milwaukee Bucks: 26.00
- Memphis Grizzlies: 29.00
Western Conference Finals recap – Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Oklahoma City Thunder strolled into what will be their first NBA Finals appearance in 13 years. In Game 5 of their Western Conference Finals series against the Timberwolves, the Thunder powered their way to a 124-94 victory, wrapping the series up quickly.
NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander banked a game-high 34 points for the Thunder. For the Timberwolves, it was the second season running they had fallen in the Western Conference Finals.
Western Conference First Round results
- Oklahoma City Thunder 4-0 vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Denver Nuggets 4-3 vs LA Clippers
- Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 vs LA Lakers
- Golden State Warriors 4-3 vs Houston Rockets
Semifinals
- Oklahoma City Thunder 4-3 vs Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 Golden State Warriors
Eastern Conference Finals – Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks
The Pacers took a 4-2 series win against the New York Knicks as Tyrese Haliburton was back to his best, leading them to a 125-106 victory in Game 6. It’s the first time that the Pacers have been in the NBA Finals in a quarter of a century, and they kept the pressure ticking over on the scoreboard in the second half of the match.
They will go to the NBA Finals as the underdogs, but can take a lot of heart from their resilience in dropping just four games in three rounds of the playoffs against tough opposition.
Eastern Conference First Round results
- Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 vs Miami Heat
- Indiana Pacers 4-1 vs Milwaukee Bucks
- NY Knicks 4-2 vs Detroit Pistons
- Boston Celtics 4-1 vs Orlando Magic
Conference Semifinals results
- Indiana Pacers 4-1 vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- NY Knicks 4-2 vs Boston Celtics
Oklahoma City Thunder – defences win titles?
The Thunder, who lost the NBA Cup Final against the Milwaukee Bucks in December, have been dominant all season with head coach Mark Daigneault at the helm. The most remarkable thing about the success that the Thunder have had this season is that the team has the youngest average age in the entire NBA.
A lot of the attention has naturally been on superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who forms a Top 3 for the Thunder alongside Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. With backups Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort, the pieces of the puzzle have come together.
NBA Finals Fun Fact: The Last NBA Finals clean sweep happened in 2018 when the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 and was the first since 2007.
The Thunder are a defensive monster. They are physical, aren’t afraid of the ‘dark arts’ of defending, and heap so much pressure on opponents, as seen in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets, where they squashed Nikola Jokic and co.
Their forcing of turnovers is impressive, and their ability to restrict shooting percentages has helped them punch their tickets to success this season. To back that up, the Thunder were the best team for defensive efficiency in the 2024-25 regular season, as they won 68 of their 82 matches.
However, the Thunder’s youth is potentially one crack, as some of their main stars such as Holmgren and Jalen Williams only got their first NBA Playoff experience just this season. Oklahoma also finished the regular season as one of the worst rebound teams in the NBA, an area that the Pacers could exploit.
Thunder vs Pacers head-to-head – last five games
- Thunder 132-111 Pacers
- Pacers 114-120 Thunder
- Pacers 126-112 Thunder
- Thunder 111-121 Pacers
- Pacers 87-98 Thunder
Indiana Pacers – can Haliburton lift the underdogs?
There’s little doubt that the Pacers need Haliburton to orchestrate things. When he was off-colour in Game 5 against the Knicks, the team’s overall performance dropped. There is going to be so much on his shoulders in creating enough offence for the Pacers, who aren’t an explosive attacking unit, but more of an efficient one.
The Pacers were the fourth seeds in the Eastern Conference Playoffs with a 50-32 regular season record. However, they ended the season in top form, winning eight of their last 10, and carried that momentum into the playoffs. To their credit, they knocked over the top-seeded Cleveland and third-seeded Knicks on their way to the NBA Finals.
Power forward Pascal Siakam will be key for the Pacers, with the following stats showing why:
- Regular season: Average of 20.2 points per game
- Playoffs: Average of 21.1 points per game
- Postseason rebounds: 5.8 per game
NBA Finals Fun Fact: The Indiana Pacers are in their first NBA Finals in 25 years.
Our expert Prediction
The Thunder were the best team in the NBA by a country mile, and they will take on the Pacers, who finished fourth in the East. This naturally puts the Oklahoma Thunder in the position as the 1.17 NBA Finals favourites, and that’s on the back of their much-lauded defence. It’s hard to see that defence being picked apart consistently enough to see them let four matches in the series slip.
With that precious home advantage giving them a footing for a fast start at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, the Thunder may take some stopping. There’s also so much strength in depth on the Oklahoma bench, which takes the pressure off the starters.
Oklahoma could power their way to a 4-2 success, a scoreline that has appeared in four of the last six NBA Finals. Gilgeous-Alexander is the obvious series MVP favourite, well ahead of the Pacers’ Haliburton. Below are the NBA Finals MVP odds:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 1.17
- Tyrese Haliburton: 7.5
The thrilling NBA Finals will capture audiences across the world, and you can head to Tonybet, where betting options for the NBA Finals, including Correct Score and Series MVP, sit alongside many pre-match markets covering Points Totals and prop bets.
Don’t forget all of the live in-play NBA Finals betting action for each game, as the season draws to its fantastic climax.
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