NBA Finals bracket 2025: Pacers vs. Thunder schedule, times, TV
NBA Finals bracket 2025: Pacers vs. Thunder schedule, times, TV
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Thunder knock off Knicks, will battle Thunder for NBA Finals crown
USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes breaks down how the Indiana Pacers fought their way into the NBA Finals.
Sports Pulse
The NBA Finals are set following the Indiana Pacers' victory over the New York Knicks in Game 6 on Saturday night.
Pascal Siakam and the Pacers closed out the Eastern Conference finals series with a 125-108 victory in front of Caitlin Clark and the home fans at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Siakam was named the series MVP after producing 31 points, five rebounds and three blocks against New York. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points and 13 assists in the victory.
OPINION: Small-market Pacers party down in big way with NBA Finals trip
MORE: Pascal Siakam named Eastern Conference finals MVP after Pacers down Knicks
It is just the second time that the Pacers have advanced to the NBA Finals. Indiana reached the finals in 2000.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder reached the finals after closing out their Western Conference finals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, 4-1.
Here's what you need to know ahead of the championship series:
NBA bracket: Playoff schedule, scores and results
All times Eastern. *-if necessary
2025 NBA Finals schedule
*-if necessary
Game 1, June 5: Pacers at Thunder, ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET
Pacers at Thunder, ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET Game 2, June 8: Pacers at Thunder, ABC, 8 p.m.
Pacers at Thunder, ABC, 8 p.m. Game 3, June 11: Thunder at Pacers, ABC, 8:30 p.m.
Thunder at Pacers, ABC, 8:30 p.m. Game 4, June 13: Thunder at Pacers, ABC, 8:30 p.m.
Thunder at Pacers, ABC, 8:30 p.m. Game 5, June 16: Pacers at Thunder, ABC*, 8:30 p.m.
Pacers at Thunder, ABC*, 8:30 p.m. Game 6, June 19: Thunder at Pacers, ABC*, 8:30 p.m.
Thunder at Pacers, ABC*, 8:30 p.m. Game 7, June 22: Pacers at Thunder, ABC*, 8 p.m.
NBA playoff results: Conference finals
Eastern Conference
Pacers win series 4-2
Western Conference
Thunder win series 4-1
NBA playoff results: Second round
Eastern Conference
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Indiana Pacers
Pacers win series 4-1
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) New York Knicks
Knicks win series 4-2
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) Denver Nuggets
Thunder win series 4-3
(6) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (7) Golden State Warriors
Timberwolves win series 4-1
NBA playoff results: First round
Eastern Conference
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Miami Heat
Cavaliers win series 4-0
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic
Celtics win series 4-1
(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons
Knicks win series 4-2
(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks
Pacers win series 4-1
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies
Thunder win series 4-0
(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Golden State Warriors
Warriors win series 4-3
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
Timberwolves win series 4-1
(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers
Nuggets win series 4-3
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'I Think ESPN Is Going To F*** The Show Up': Bill Simmons Didn't Hold Back When Expressing His Worries About Inside The NBA's New Era
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: TNT/The Ringer This past weekend marked the end of an era in sports broadcasting. As the Indiana Pacers clinched their first trip to the NBA Finals in over two decades, it was all shown during Inside The NBA's final broadcast on TNT. The long-running show had been on the network since 1989, and it will resume on ESPN this fall as part of a historic deal. While some may be happy the series will still be on the 2025 TV schedule, longtime sports analyst Bill Simmons isn't optimistic about the new era of the beloved basketball show. Advertisement Inside The NBA has long been known for its wild antics, which occasionally make host Ernie Johnson feel like a "rogue traffic cop." But, during an installment of The Bill Simmons Podcast, the eponymous host claimed that the move to ESPN could ruin the show. Surprisingly, it's not because he's of the thinking that the Disney-owned network would try to keep Charles Barkley from saying wild stuff, but because of the way it runs commercials: I think ESPN is going to fuck the show up. I don't care if I get they completely change how they do commercials. The show's going to be different and people are going to be pissed. And Barkley and those guys are going to be pissed and I think it's going to go badly. It's funny that Bill Simmons knew he'd make waves with his comment, as he was likely aware of the immense pull that he has in sports broadcasting. Of course, it's still just an opinion, and do we really believe Charles Barkley would've renounced his retirement if he thought Inside The NBA would flop on ESPN? Probably not, but it's always possible that Barkley and the rest of the Inside crew weren't thinking about the fundamental way the show could change beyond censorship issues. Bill Simmons went into that, noting the way ESPN currently conducts its NBA coverage, and how it would need to change to be closer to what's been seen on TNT for decades: The only way it doesn't go badly is if they do the commercials and they give them the lengthy segments that you need to have that show work. They're going to have to change how they do it. They just paid so much for the NBA, that if they don't do that and they do these same short, terrible segments that you're about to see in the Finals, where it's like a one-and-a-half-minute halftime and a twenty-minute pregame. If they do that, they're going to fuck the show up and everybody's going to be mad. If they mess with any piece of this, everybody's going to be mad. All this being said, fans have yet to see a single episode of Inside The NBA on ESPN. There's even a part of me that feels like Bill Simmons is only putting his opinion out into the world so that someone making decisions on how the program will run next season and can react appropriately to ensure no one is mad. Advertisement More On Inside The NBA Shaquille O'Neal on Inside The NBA on TNT Charles Barkley, Shaq And The Inside The NBA Crew Got Family Photos Done, And They Went All Out While Bill Simmons is right that ESPN's basketball coverage does thrive on brevity and is very commercial-heavy, the network does house shows with long segments. First Take, The Pat McAfee Show, and others have very long blocks where people are talking. Maybe some of those segments can get just a bit shorter so that the network can let Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley do their thing. It'll be several months before we see what ESPN does, as Inside The NBA is officially off the air until the new NBA season kicks off in late October. I want to stay optimistic that the show will remain as fun as it has been in past years, with more moments like Shaq running to the bathroom and getting roasted by the rest of the panel. Until I'm proven otherwise, that's where my head is at, and I'm going to hope for the best. For now, know that the NBA Finals kick off on ABC on Thursday, June 5th at 8:30 p.m. ET. It should be an exciting series for those who love basketball, so be sure to check it out and wonder what Charles Barkley might have to say about it during the championship series.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Shaquille O'Neal Makes Strong Statement Amid Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Rumors
Shaquille O'Neal Makes Strong Statement Amid Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Rumors originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The past couple of weeks have seen NBA trade rumors reach a fever pitch surrounding Milwaukee Bucks' star Giannis Antetokounmpo, with teams such as the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks listed among the contenders. Advertisement On Monday, as trade rumors continue to swirl, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal offered a contrarian view on an episode of "Good Word with Goodwill." When asked what advice he'd give a 30-year-old Antetokounmpo weighing a departure from Milwaukee, O'Neal emphasized that "social media is the market now," downplaying traditional notions of "big markets." "Nobody cares what city you're in anymore. This ain't the 90s," O'Neal said. He argued further that Antetokounmpo has already cultivated a global brand as the "Greek Freak," making any city capable of supporting his stardom, saying that he should instead, "Go upstairs and be like 'I want to see all the free agents, I want all the phone numbers and I want to talk to them.' He should bring people to help." Several current small-market stars reinforce O'Neal's point. Advertisement Nikola Jokic, playing in Denver, has won multiple MVPs (2021, 2022, 2024) and an NBA championship (2023), despite Denver's middle-market status. Similarly, Luka Doncic thrived in Dallas, elevating the Mavericks to perennial contenders and even an NBA Finals appearance in 2024. This year's 2025 NBA Finals also features two small-market teams in the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Blaze-Imagn Images Antetokounmpo himself has grown his off-court influence from Milwaukee, with endorsement deals and social media engagement rivaling some of the larger markets. While Los Angeles still offers unique media exposure, O'Neal suggested that the increased tax burden and constant media circus could offset those advantages. Advertisement Related: Draymond Green Sends Strong Message After Big Steph Curry News Related: Warriors Linked to Timberwolves Guard After Disappointing End to Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Josh Hart feels he ‘failed' the Knicks in Eastern Conference finals
NEW YORK — Josh Hart didn't sugarcoat it. Typically the Knicks' do-it-all glue guy, Hart was not satisfied with how he played in the Eastern Conference finals. 'I failed the team,' Hart said after the Knicks' season-ending Game 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 'I didn't bring it the way I should have, especially in this series, and if I played better, it could've been a different situation.' Advertisement Hart scored a series-low four points on 1-of-6 shooting in Game 6, while his six rebounds matched his lowest output of any game in the postseason. His 22 minutes were his fewest in any game this season. He said he suffered a dislocated finger in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 125-108 defeat, and afterward, he shook hands in the locker room using his non-dominant left hand. Hart finished the series with a plus/minus of -16, meaning the Knicks were outscored by 16 points with him on the court. 'I didn't play how I normally play,' Hart said. 'There were some games I had three or four turnovers and let that cause me to get out my game and make me passive, because you know how costly turnovers are.' Advertisement Hart committed five turnovers in the Knicks' Game 4 loss before he fouled out. He finished the series with 13 turnovers. The 30-year-old guard did deliver some late-game heroics, particularly with his rebounding, in the Knicks' wins in Games 3 and 5. But Hart averaged 8.3 points and 3.0 assists per game — both well below his season averages — to go with 9.3 rebounds per game. 'I felt like I was playing hard, trying to find it,' Hart said. Hart started each of his 77 appearances in the regular season, as well as the Knicks' first 14 playoff games. His +38 in the Knicks' first-round series against the Detroit Pistons was the best on the team. Advertisement But after the Knicks' starting lineup was outplayed in the first two games of the conference finals — contributing to an 0-2 series hole — Hart volunteered to come off the bench. Seven-foot center Mitchell Robinson started the final four games in Hart's place. 'I had some good games and then some bad games,' Hart said. 'Just trying to find it. I couldn't find it. Obviously, extremely disappointed. Could've and should've played better. That's gonna sting for a while.' ____
