The NBA Finals are set: It'll be Thunder vs. Pacers, starting Thursday night
The seeds for the 2025 NBA Finals began getting planted unknowingly in 2017, back when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was about to enroll at Kentucky and Tyrese Haliburton was getting ready for his senior year of high school in Wisconsin.
That was the year the Indiana Pacers traded Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers landed Domantas Sabonis out of that deal. The Thunder would trade George in 2019 to the Los Angeles Clippers for a package that included Gilgeous-Alexander. The Pacers would trade Sabonis in 2022 to Sacramento for a package that included Haliburton.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Time for a change as coach Thibodeau told to Knick off
Tom Thibodeau just took the New York Knicks to the NBA's Eastern Conference finals, the deepest play-off march in 25 years for a franchise that re-emerged as a contender after he became their coach. For that, he was fired. The Knicks made what they called a "difficult decision" to move on from Thibodeau on Tuesday, believing it was a necessary step in their chase for a championship. "We can't thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four play-off berths and four play-off series victories," team president Leon Rose said in a statement. Thank you, Coach Thibodeau. — NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 3, 2025 "Ultimately we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be a part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best." The Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 on Saturday night, falling two games short of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. Axing the coach is a strange decision by the Knicks, who had been one of the league's worst franchises for most of the 2000s until Thibodeau was hired in 2020. He led the Knicks to the play-offs in his first season, winning his second NBA Coach of the Year award, and they have been solid contenders in recent seasons. They gave Thibodeau a three-year contract extension last summer. Their big breakthrough came in 2024-25, when they knocked off defending champions Boston in the second round to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2000, when Thibodeau was an assistant under Jeff Van Gundy. Thibodeau faced criticisms that his hard-driving style and over-reliance on his starters wore down his players, the same ones who have followed him since the beginning of his head coaching career in Chicago. But his ways seemed to be working in New York. The Knicks hadn't won a play-off series since 2013, but now have done it in three straight seasons. They went 50-32 in 2023-24 and followed that with a 51-31 record this season. Thibodeau grew up as a Knicks fan in Connecticut, before joining the organisation as an assistant coach in 1996. He went on to help the Boston Celtics win the 2008 NBA title as an assistant, earning a reputation as one of the league's top defensive minds, before finally getting a chance as a head coach with the Bulls in 2010-11. He went 62-20 in his first season, earning his first Coach of the Year award. Thibodeau, who spent five seasons with the Bulls and also coached Minnesota, is 578-420 as a head coach.
USA Today
36 minutes ago
- USA Today
Tyrese Haliburton embraces Pacers' underdog role against Thunder in 2025 NBA Finals
Tyrese Haliburton embraces Pacers' underdog role against Thunder in 2025 NBA Finals Even though the NBA Finals should usually be a matchup of the league's best two teams, sometimes you get lopsided affairs. That happens when the Western Conference is historically a bloodbath while the Eastern Conference is viewed as a cakewalk in comparison. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been a winning machine all year. They went 68-14 in a historic regular season. That dominance has translated over to the playoffs with a 12-4 record. Everybody expects them to cap off one of the greatest years ever with an NBA championship. Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers will cosplay as David. They caught fire at the right time and took down several quality teams on their path to the NBA Finals. Still, late-game heroics and injury luck haven't fooled most to pick them to pull off the all-time upset. For Tyrese Haliburton, that's exactly what he wants to see. He's been the face of the franchise and has led the league in playoff assists. The Pacers will go as far as he takes them. He must have a loud series and not risk fading into the background like he usually does against OKC. "As long as the guys in our locker room and people in this building believe, anything is possible," Haliburton said. "We're really excited about the challenge. It's a really good team in front of us. No quote-unquote expert or analyst is gonna pick us. That's OK. We like it better that way. It's going to be a lot of fun." The Pacers' best path to a championship involves outside shooting. They've had one of the best offenses. If Indiana's role players can exploit OKC's decision to leave the corner spots open, it can bury the Thunder on the scoreboard with role players getting hot from deep. "We're all doubted in this series. There's no expectations for us to get here externally, obviously," Haliburton said. "We're just trying to approach it the right way. Approach it the way we approach every game and we approach every day. Nobody is expecting us to win except for the guys in the locker room. We believe and that's the exciting part about it. When you get to prove people wrong." The Thunder might have about every advantage on paper, but the games will still need to be played out. They must cut their way through outside noise that sees them as the obvious favorite. Or risk giving the Pacers hope they can do the unthinkable. "This is gonna be a fun challenge. To win a championship, you have to beat the best and these guys are the best," Haliburton said. "Wouldn't want it any other way."
Newsweek
43 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Bet365 Bonus Code WEEK365: Claim $150 Bonus For MLB, NHL Stanley Cup Finals
The bet365 bonus code WEEK365 will claim access to a $150 bonus for MLB and Stanley Cup Finals action this week. The bet365 bonus code WEEK365 will claim access to a $150 bonus for MLB and Stanley Cup Finals action this week. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Take advantage of bet365 bonus code WEEK365 ahead of the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, MLB and more this week. New players can choose between a $150 guaranteed bonus or a $1,000 safety net bet. All it takes is a $5 bet on any game to secure the $150 bonus. Players who lose on a safety net bet will be eligible for up to $1,000 back in bonuses. Tuesday night is all about baseball, with all 30 teams in action. However, we expect to see a lot of interest in the NBA and NHL later in the week. The puck will drop on Wednesday for a Stanley Cup Finals rematch between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers. On Thursday, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers will meet in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. bet365 Sportsbook has tons of ways to bet on the NBA, NHL and MLB. NBA Finals Betting Preview, Odds It doesn't start until Thursday, but we are already looking ahead to the NBA Finals. Oklahoma City is a massive favorite to win the series, but we know to expect the unexpected in these NBA playoffs. bet365 Sportsbook will have a ton of ways to bet on the games. Here is a look at the current odds on Game 1 (odds are subject to change before tip-off): Indiana Pacers: +9 (-105) // Over 231 (-110) // +325 +9 (-105) // Over 231 (-110) // +325 Oklahoma City Thunder: -9 (-115) // Under 231 (-110) // -425 We also recommend checking out some of the bet boosts available for Game 1: Tyrese Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each to record a double double (+750) Jalen Williams and Pascal Siakam each to record 20+ points and 7+ rebounds (+1200) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton each to record 25+ points and 7+ assists (+900) Alex Caruso, Obi Toppin, Myles Turner and Luguentz Dort each to score 10+ points (+1400) Tyrese Haliburton to win NBA Finals MVP (+800) bet365 Bonus Code WEEK365 Offers $150 Bonus New players who secure this offer can choose from one of two sign-up bonuses. On one hand, players can keep things simple with a $5 bet on the NBA, NHL, MLB or any other market. This will be enough to secure the $150 bonus, no matter what happens in the selected game. As for the safety net bet, this is an opportunity to raise the stakes on a game. Set up a new account and place a cash wager on any matchup. bet365 Sportsbook will back up any losses with up to $1,000 in bonus bets. How to Register With bet365 Bonus Code WEEK365 Creating an account is a quick and hassle-free process on bet365 Sportsbook. Start the sign-up process by inputting bonus code WEEK365 and providing the necessary identifying information. Make sure to make a cash deposit using any of the avaialble payment methods. Finally, start with a $5 bet to win $150 in bonuses or opt for the $1,000 safety net bet. Players will have the chance to start making picks on everything from the NBA and MLB to the NHL and soccer. There should be something for every sports fan. 21+ and present in participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
