No surprises in the NBA Western Conference, unlike the East. The number one-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder dominated their way to the Finals stage, except for their seven-game semifinal series against the Denver Nuggets. It started in the first round of the playoffs with a four-game sweep of the Memphis Grizzles. Then came the most challenging team for the Thunder, the Denver Nuggets, with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

Although that series went seven games, OKC dominated the close-out game, sending the former champs of 2023 home to contemplate their future. The Thunder finished the series in a romp, leading by 39 points in a 124-94 victory. Then, in the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder only needed five games to eliminate the number six seed Minnesota Timberwolves.

Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went from being named league MVP to the Western Conference Finals MVP. The 26-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in scoring during the 2024–25 season, averaging a career-best 32.7 points per game. He added 5.0 rebounds and a career-best 6.4 assists per game, shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range.

“I never, like, thought this was going to happen,” said Gilgeous-Alexander after winning the league MVP award. “I dreamt about it as a kid, but you know, as a kid, it’s a fake dream. But as the days go on and you realize that you get closer to your dream, it’s hard not to freak out. It’s hard not to be a six-year-old kid again, and I think that’s what’s allowed me to achieve it. I try not to focus on it and just worry about what’s got me to this place, which is just working hard and taking it day by day and trusting the people around me and trusting the things that I’ve done to get me to this place.”

In the postseason, the Thunder won by about 11 points per game and finished with the NBA’s best regular season record (68–14). They stand alone atop the Western Conference as the true favorite to win the Finals championship for the 2024-25 season.

But, before that, they must get past a surging Indiana Pacers team that has made its way to the top of the Eastern Conference as the number four seed. After eliminating the number one seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the second round, the Pacers beat the New York Knicks in six games in the conference finals. Their four victories after trailing by 17 or more points are the most by a team in a single postseason. Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and Eastern Conference Finals MVP Pascal Siakam lead them. Haliburton is having a memorable postseason, hitting three game-winning or game-tying shots and topping all players with 9.8 assists.

“This is a really exciting time for me personally to have this opportunity,” Haliburton said. “This is something I’ve wanted to do my whole life. Last year, having playoff success in my first playoff run and being unsuccessful to start the season, for me I thought a lot about, wow, maybe I took last year for granted. I didn’t know what the playoffs were going to look like as the year was going on. I didn’t know if we’d be a play-in team or where we’d stack up in the end with how we were playing early in the year. I’m definitely not taking this for granted. Learning to appreciate every day and remember all these days as best as I can.”

With the New York Knicks out of the picture, the small markets teams have their shot on the big stage. It’s a second trip to the NBA Finals for Oklahoma City since moving from Seattle in 2008. The Thunder lost in their first try against Miami in 2012 but are now heavy favorites this time around after compiling the NBA’s best record behind MVP and scoring champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Pacers are making just their second NBA Finals appearance, having lost to the Lakers in 2000.

The NBA Finals schedule starts with Game 1 at Oklahoma City on Thursday, Game 2 on Sunday, Game 3 at Indiana on June 11, Game 4 at Indiana on June 13, Game 5 at Oklahoma City on June 16 (if necessary), Game 6 at Indiana on June 19 (if required), Game 7 at Oklahoma City on June 22 (if necessary).

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