NBA Finals Game 1: Thunder vs. Pacers start time, schedule, expert prediction, TV, stream, betting odds
The Indiana Pacers start the NBA Finals tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center.
Indiana — which last made the Finals in 2000 and is seeking its first NBA championship — was the Eastern Conference No. 4 seed before defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks. Pascal Siakam earned Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors.
OKC, led by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had the NBA's best regular-season and beat the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference playoffs. The Thunder are in their first NBA Finals since 2012 and have not win a championship in Oklahoma City.
Dustin Dopirak is your best Pacers follow, and get IndyStar's Pacers coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Pacers Update newsletter.
Dustin Dopirak, IndyStar: Thunder 117-110
"Rick Carlisle has been in awe of the Thunder's roster construction, noting a lack of holes. They have top-of-the-line perimeter defenders on both the first and second units, switchable defenders on the wings and excellent rim protection. Plus, of course, the MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander driving the train on offense. The Pacers are on a magical run and they have a legitimate chance to win this series, but if it's going to happen, it will probably take a game or two for them to get into the flow of the series and develop adjustments. For them to pull that off in Game 1 would be a lot to ask."
Pacers: Jarace Walker (ankle) and Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) are out.
Thunder: None.
TV: ABC, with Mike Breen (play-by-play), Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson (analysis) and Lisa Salters (sideline reporting)
Watch with a Fubo trial
93.5 and 107.5 FM in Indianapolis, with Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analysis) and Pat Boylan (sideline reporting). Game 1 streaming is on SiriusXM channels 81 and 86 (Thunder feed).
(*-if necessary; all games are ET and on ABC)
Get IndyStar's book celebrating the Pacers' playoff run
via BetMGM
via BetMGM
Game 1 favorite: Thunder by 9.5 points
Over/under: 230.5 total points
Moneyline: Pacers +310, Thunder -400
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
18 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Lakers' LeBron James Strongly Urged to Retire By Former NBA Big Man
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has put together a career that places him on the "GOAT" list to many. At the very least, he's a legitimate contender to the title and the only other name on that list is Michael Jordan. It is expected that James will make his return for another season in 2025-26. He is still playing at a high level and would have a full season playing with Luka Doncic next year. He has played in 22 NBA season to this point in his career. Should he play next year, he would officially hold the record for most seasons played in the league. Right now, he is tied with Vince Carter for that record. LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks towards the crowd during a timeout against the Denver Nuggets in the second half of the NBA Opening night game at Ball Arena on October 24,... LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks towards the crowd during a timeout against the Denver Nuggets in the second half of the NBA Opening night game at Ball Arena on October 24, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. More Photo byWhile James is expected to return for year 23, one former NBA big man does not think he should keep playing. Read more: NBA Analyst Floats Knicks Theory Regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jason Kidd During an appearance with Byron Scott on the "Fast Break" podcast, Olden Polynice spoke out with a pointed statement about James. He believes that it's time for the longtime superstar to call it a career. "The longevity aspect, I think it's getting a little bit too much now," Polynice said. "Because I'm like, dude, what else you want to do? It's time for you (James) to start thinking about retiring. He ain't getting no fifth ring unless he buys one, It ain't happening." Granted, there is obvious proof that James has started slowing down some. However, he is still putting up impressive numbers and making a massive impact night in and night out. Read more: Warriors Trade Idea Lands 2-Time All-Star in Massive Offseason Move Throughout the course of the 2024-25 NBA season, James played in 70 games. He averaged 24.4 points per game to go along with 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and a steal. In addition, he shot 51.3 percent from the floor and knocked down 37.6 percent of his three-point attempts. Looking ahead to next season, the Lakers will need to make some offseason moves to get back into NBA Finals contention. Los Angeles needs more defense and also needs a legitimate starting center. Rob Pelinka has his work cut out for him. Polynice may be right that the Lakers aren't a favorite to win a championship, but James is more than capable of continuing to play for another year or two if he chooses to do so. It's an eye-opening take, but it's an opinion that many disagree with. For more on the Los Angeles Lakers and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Indianapolis Star
27 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
'We didn't even play well.' Pacers All-Star's message after Game 1 win in NBA Finals
The Indiana Pacers may have some mixed feelings about Thursday's nail-biting 111-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. But Tyrese Haliburton doesn't appear deterred. In a video posted to social media by ESPN, Indiana's star point guard seemed amped up for Game 2 while exiting the court with fellow star teammate Pascal Siakam. "We did our job — c'mon man, let's get greedy... we have so much to work on," Haliburton told Siakam. Siakam, who led the Pacers with 19 points, echoed the sentiment: 'We didn't even play well.' Pre-order our new book on Pacers' rise to NBA Finals Despite struggling in the first half, Haliburton ended the night with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. That mutual hunger might be the key to Indiana's improbable postseason run, which once again found its hero in Haliburton. The 24-year-old buried his third game-winning shot of the playoffs with just 0.3 seconds remaining, giving the Pacers their first lead of the night and capping off a dramatic comeback. Oklahoma City had history on its side throughout its nail-biting loss. The Thunder racked up 12 first-half steals — the most in an NBA Finals half since 1998 — leading to 19 Pacers turnovers before halftime. They also managed 16 more field goal attempts than Indiana, despite shooting just 39.8% from the floor. But the Pacers refused to fold. Indiana clawed its way back with a dominant second half, outrebounding the Thunder 56-39 and pouring in 32 second-chance points. The performance was an astounding feat considering the Pacers rank last in offensive rebounding percentage (23.8%) and near the bottom in second-chance scoring during this postseason. In the series opening matchup between two of the league's most cerebral teams, Indiana's grit and poise stole the spotlight. The Game 1 win gives the Pacers a 1-0 series lead, and even more belief in their ability to deliver under pressure. "I think as a group, we never think the game is over ever, honestly speaking," Haliburton said. "That never creeps in. I think we just keep talking as a group, how can we walk this team down. That's just the confidence that we have as a group, and I think that's a big reason why this is going on."
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chicago Sky Make Angel Reese Move After Kamilla Cardoso News
Chicago Sky Make Angel Reese Move After Kamilla Cardoso News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky endured an 0-4 start to the 2025 WNBA season, but they won two straight games ahead of the Commissioner's Cup. Advertisement After double-digit losses to the Indiana Fever, New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks in the opening week, they rebounded with a close loss to the 5-3 Phoenix Mercury and consecutive victories against the Dallas Wings. Second-year center Kamilla Cardoso has been contributing 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Sky, including a career-high 23 points in the team's first win of the season. Unfortunately for Chicago, Cardoso was included in Brazil's AmeriCup roster, which means that she could miss time this season (via Roberta F. Rodrigues of The Next). Chicago Sky guard Rebecca Allen (9), guard Ariel Atkins (7), guard Courtney Vandersloot (22), center Kamilla Cardoso (10), and forward Angel Reese (5).Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Fellow 2024 first-round draftee and WNBA All-Star forward Angel Reese has gotten off to a rough start in 2025, but she is still averaging 10.0 points and a league-leading 12.3 rebounds per game. Advertisement Reese typically plays the power forward position alongside Cardoso, who plays center. However, the Sky made a move in practice on Thursday to get Reese reps at the five with Cardoso watching from the sidelines. "Also have Rebecca Allen in with the starters instead of Kamilla Cardoso, leading Angel to playing the 5," Sky reporter Karli Bell wrote. Cardoso did not participate in the portion of practice that was open to the media. While it was initially unclear if that was planned in order to get some practice reps in preparation for her eventual absence, it was revealed by head coach Tyler Marsh that Cardoso is day-to-day with shoulder soreness (via Chicago State of Mind Sports). Advertisement The Sky host the Fever on Saturday at United Center in Chicago to kick off their slate of Commissioner's Cup games. Chicago will look to avenge its 93-58 loss on opening day. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EST. Related: Chicago Sky Coach Sends Rick Carlisle Message Before NBA Finals Related: Calls Mount for Chicago Sky to Make Change Before Indiana Fever Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
