Court Sense: The small-market NBA Finals
I joked a few months ago, in the aftermath of a Celtics-Lakers primetime showdown at TD Garden, that Adam Silver might be dreaming of a Boston-Los Angeles NBA Finals, a surefire ratings bonanza renewing the league's biggest rivalry in the Finals for a 13th time.
Well, Adam, get ready to learn America's heartland, buddy!
The NBA Finals are set,
Does it matter? Not really. Ratings are important, but they're not exactly a direct revenue driver for the league, which is paid a fixed amount in its rights deals. It helps that a shiny new deal was inked last summer (roughly $76 billion over 11 years — I think the league will be OK).
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Most expected the Thunder to be here after Oklahoma City won an NBA-best 68 games during the regular season, the highest win total since the Warriors' record-setting 73-win campaign in 2015-16. Behind MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the league's best defense, the Thunder swept aside the Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals with relative ease.
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But the Pacers? Who were set as 50-to-1 longshots to win the title before the season and finished 14 games off the pace in the Eastern Conference? Not so much. Indiana's been on some run this postseason, taking care of the Bucks in the opening round, burying the top-seeded Cavaliers in the second round, and closing out the Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference finals.
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They've caught a couple of breaks: Bucks star Damian Lillard tore his Achilles' in the first round; Indiana didn't have to go through the Celtics after Boston's incredibly cursed second round series against New York; and the Knicks are, after all, still the Knicks.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right) and Tyrese Haliburton will do battle in the NBA Finals.
Kyle Phillips/Associated Press
The Thunder are big favorites and for good reason. They suffocate the NBA's best offenses while their own is driven by the MVP, a combination that has resulted in a team that looks ready for a coronation.
But at this point, how can you count out these Pacers? Indiana, 12-4 in the postseason, has swept aside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, smoked the 64-win Cavaliers,
The Pacers will need to be pretty much perfect to take down the Thunder. Or they need to keep casting whatever spells they've been using to get this far. Either works.
(Anyway: Thunder in five.)
Let's get into it.
ICYMI 🗞️
Tyrese Haliburton will lead the Pacers into their first Finals since 2000.
Michael Conroy/Associated Press
You may not know much about the Pacers and Thunder, but you'll enjoy the show they put on in the NBA Finals
By Gary Washburn
Celtics faithful are still in their mourning period, despite the pleasure taken from the Knicks losing to the Pacers in six games in the Eastern Conference finals.
Similar to two years ago, the Celtics watched a conference foe they feel they're better than advance to the NBA Finals. The Pacers earned their way to this matchup with the Thunder, learning from their conference finals sweep at the hands of the Celtics last year and bringing back a more experienced and savvy roster.
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Although this is not an NBA Finals featuring any of the league's darling markets, it is the best team in each conference, which makes for a compelling matchup. The Pacers and Thunder are a lot alike, their cornerstone players each acquired through trade.
Other top stories we're watching ...
Celtics assistant GM Austin Ainge is leaving for new role as Jazz president of basketball operations.
You know who really loved the Knicks' playoff exit at the hands of the Pacers?
The NBA offseason hasn't really kicked into gear, but the potential moves of stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant could shift the landscape in the Celtics' favor.
Trivia Tuesday 🧠
Congratulations to Nathan Weinberger of Cambridge, the first person to correctly answer last week's question. As a refresher, we asked you to name the two single-digit uniform numbers that have never been worn by a Celtics player.
The answer is
Nos. 1
and
2
. The former was retired in honor of Celtics founder Walter Brown in 1964 and the latter in honor of legendary coach and executive Red Auerbach in 1985. Neither number had been officially issued to a player in the years before they were raised to the rafters at the Boston Garden.
Walter Brown (left) and Red Auerbach (right) have numbers retired in the Garden rafters, despite never having suited up for the team as players.
Paul Connell/Globe Staff
Here's this week's question: When the Celtics won the 1986 NBA Finals, which Celtic finished the series with a perfect 3 for 3 shooting from the field? (Hint: He's got some important basketball games coming up!)
Know the answer? Send us an email at
The Joe Mazzulla Quote of the Week
Congratulations to TNT's Charles Barkley, a first-time winner of the Joe Mazzulla Quote of the Week.
In their final series covering the NBA for TNT, the 'Inside the NBA' crew was high — and I mean high — above the court at Madison Square Garden,
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'We up in the clouds, I could touch God right now,' Barkley said. 'That's the only chance I'm ever going to get to see him. I'm going to hell.'But I'll see a lot of y'all with me. A lot of y'all laughing at home — I'm [going to] see you!'
As this show moves to TNT, I'm already ready to riot if ESPN tries to sanitize the 'Inside the NBA' guys. Don't you do it, Disney!
This story first appeared in Court Sense, a biweekly Celtics newsletter from Boston Globe Sports.
Amin Touri can be reached at
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CNN
23 minutes ago
- CNN
NBA Finals: What to know as OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers battle for title
The 2025 NBA playoffs have been ones to remember with shock results, historical big comebacks and the traditional heavyweights struggling. And at the end of a thrilling postseason, it is two teams with vastly different stories in the Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will face off in the best-of-seven series for the Larry O'Brien Trophy and the chance to lift aloft a championship banner in their home arena. Both have had grueling journeys to reach this spot, so here's everything you need to know. The NBA Finals begin with Game 1 on Thursday in Oklahoma City with the Thunder having home-court advantage because of their better regular season record. All games will be broadcast on ABC. Here's the full NBA Finals schedule: · Game 1: Pacers @ Thunder, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 2: Pacers @ Thunder, Sunday at 8 p.m. ET · Game 3: Thunder @ Pacers, June 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 4: Thunder @ Pacers, June 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 5 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 6 (if needed): Thunder @ Pacers, June 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 7 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 22 at 8 p.m. ET The Thunder's and Pacers' route to the NBA Finals couldn't have been more different. The Thunder spent the majority of the regular season atop the Western Conference standings and were many peoples' picks for the title. They are led by this season's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and have a deep rotation filled with productive role players who have stepped up in the biggest moments. On the other hand, the Pacers had a good but not great regular season, not challenging for the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference and even having a sub-.500 record in January. Yes, they have two elite players in Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, but causing a stir in the latter stages of the NBA postseason was on nobody's playoffs predictions. But here we are. Both teams had to endure their ups and downs throughout the playoffs. The Thunder went to a Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals and experienced a 42-point blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals before their star-power shone through. The Pacers, meanwhile, have made big comebacks a part of their DNA, shocking the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the second round in five games before coming through a thrilling Eastern Conference Finals with the New York Knicks which became an all-time classic, such was the level of drama in most games. While the Thunder are many people's favorites to earn their first NBA ring since moving from Seattle, in particular with home-court advantage – they had a league-best 43-7 home record this season – Indiana has made the impossible possible throughout the postseason. And led by head coach Rick Carlisle – who coached the Dallas Mavericks to a shock NBA title victory over the heavily-favored Miami Heat in 2011 – nothing is off the cards. Throughout the postseason, the two Finals contenders have homed in on what makes them successful. For the Thunder, it is their elite defense while for the Pacers, it is their explosive offense. OKC's deep rotation is full of capable defensive players, highlighted by their two All-NBA Defensive team stars – Lu Dort on the first team and Jalen Williams on the second. But even outside of those, they have contributors who have had big moments this playoffs. Chet Holmgren has provided key blocks at certain points and Alex Caruso turned into a key defender of three-time MVP Nikola Jokić in the Nuggets series. On the other side, Indiana has made a high-scoring offense a key part of its game. Most of it revolves around Haliburton, with his pin-point passing able to set up his teammates in good spots while Siakam provides a physical presence inside. Haliburton is averaging 18.8 points, 9.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game this postseason as Indiana has outgunned many of its opponents; in the 2025 postseason so far, the Pacers are 12-0 when they score 114 or more points but 0-4 when they don't hit the mark. 'When you get to this point of the season, it's two teams and it's one goal and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,' Carlisle said. 'And we understand the magnitude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long – with capital letters in the word 'dominant.' 'Defensively, they're historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It's two teams that have similar structures, slightly different styles.' The fate of this year's NBA title might revolve around one end of the court and whether Indiana can break down a stout OKC. The NBA Finals could be defined by the two star guards on display – Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder and Haliburton for the Pacers. Both were traded away from their first teams – Gilgeous-Alexander was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers and Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings – but have blossomed with their new teams. Gilgeous-Alexander is the league's MVP this season, beating out Jokić for his first award, after leading the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game. The 26-year-old is arguably one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the NBA at the moment, but it has been a long road to get to this point. 'It's been a roller coaster,' Gilgeous-Alexander said earlier this week. 'I had nights where I thought I wasn't good at basketball, had nights where I thought I was the best player in the world before I was. It's been ups and downs. My mentality to try to stay level through it all really helped me. Once I figured that out, I really saw jumps in my game.' He added: 'All the moments I got, like, cut, traded, slighted, overlooked. But also all the joy, all the things that my family has comforted me in, all the life lessons. Everything that's turned me into the man and the human being that I am today.' It's been a similar journey for Haliburton, who had played second-fiddle in Sacramento to De'Aaron Fox. His trade to Indiana allowed him to express himself, and it's seen him turn into one of the best playmakers in the NBA. 'This is a franchise that took a chance on me, saw something that other people didn't see in me,' Haliburton said of the Pacers. 'Sometimes, I think they saw more in me than I saw in myself.' That doesn't mean he's universally loved around the league though, with The Athletic conducting an anonymous survey of NBA players who voted Haliburton as the league's most overrated player. Though his play and game-winners this postseason have surely changed some of those opinions. For the Thunder or Pacers to have any chance of winning this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy, it will likely rest on their star guards' shoulders to get them to the finish line.
CNN
25 minutes ago
- CNN
NBA Finals: What to know as OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers battle for title
The 2025 NBA playoffs have been ones to remember with shock results, historical big comebacks and the traditional heavyweights struggling. And at the end of a thrilling postseason, it is two teams with vastly different stories in the Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will face off in the best-of-seven series for the Larry O'Brien Trophy and the chance to lift aloft a championship banner in their home arena. Both have had grueling journeys to reach this spot, so here's everything you need to know. The NBA Finals begin with Game 1 on Thursday in Oklahoma City with the Thunder having home-court advantage because of their better regular season record. All games will be broadcast on ABC. Here's the full NBA Finals schedule: · Game 1: Pacers @ Thunder, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 2: Pacers @ Thunder, Sunday at 8 p.m. ET · Game 3: Thunder @ Pacers, June 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 4: Thunder @ Pacers, June 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 5 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 6 (if needed): Thunder @ Pacers, June 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 7 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 22 at 8 p.m. ET The Thunder's and Pacers' route to the NBA Finals couldn't have been more different. The Thunder spent the majority of the regular season atop the Western Conference standings and were many peoples' picks for the title. They are led by this season's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and have a deep rotation filled with productive role players who have stepped up in the biggest moments. On the other hand, the Pacers had a good but not great regular season, not challenging for the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference and even having a sub-.500 record in January. Yes, they have two elite players in Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, but causing a stir in the latter stages of the NBA postseason was on nobody's playoffs predictions. But here we are. Both teams had to endure their ups and downs throughout the playoffs. The Thunder went to a Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals and experienced a 42-point blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals before their star-power shone through. The Pacers, meanwhile, have made big comebacks a part of their DNA, shocking the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the second round in five games before coming through a thrilling Eastern Conference Finals with the New York Knicks which became an all-time classic, such was the level of drama in most games. While the Thunder are many people's favorites to earn their first NBA ring since moving from Seattle, in particular with home-court advantage – they had a league-best 43-7 home record this season – Indiana has made the impossible possible throughout the postseason. And led by head coach Rick Carlisle – who coached the Dallas Mavericks to a shock NBA title victory over the heavily-favored Miami Heat in 2011 – nothing is off the cards. Throughout the postseason, the two Finals contenders have homed in on what makes them successful. For the Thunder, it is their elite defense while for the Pacers, it is their explosive offense. OKC's deep rotation is full of capable defensive players, highlighted by their two All-NBA Defensive team stars – Lu Dort on the first team and Jalen Williams on the second. But even outside of those, they have contributors who have had big moments this playoffs. Chet Holmgren has provided key blocks at certain points and Alex Caruso turned into a key defender of three-time MVP Nikola Jokić in the Nuggets series. On the other side, Indiana has made a high-scoring offense a key part of its game. Most of it revolves around Haliburton, with his pin-point passing able to set up his teammates in good spots while Siakam provides a physical presence inside. Haliburton is averaging 18.8 points, 9.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game this postseason as Indiana has outgunned many of its opponents; in the 2025 postseason so far, the Pacers are 12-0 when they score 114 or more points but 0-4 when they don't hit the mark. 'When you get to this point of the season, it's two teams and it's one goal and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,' Carlisle said. 'And we understand the magnitude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long – with capital letters in the word 'dominant.' 'Defensively, they're historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It's two teams that have similar structures, slightly different styles.' The fate of this year's NBA title might revolve around one end of the court and whether Indiana can break down a stout OKC. The NBA Finals could be defined by the two star guards on display – Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder and Haliburton for the Pacers. Both were traded away from their first teams – Gilgeous-Alexander was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers and Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings – but have blossomed with their new teams. Gilgeous-Alexander is the league's MVP this season, beating out Jokić for his first award, after leading the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game. The 26-year-old is arguably one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the NBA at the moment, but it has been a long road to get to this point. 'It's been a roller coaster,' Gilgeous-Alexander said earlier this week. 'I had nights where I thought I wasn't good at basketball, had nights where I thought I was the best player in the world before I was. It's been ups and downs. My mentality to try to stay level through it all really helped me. Once I figured that out, I really saw jumps in my game.' He added: 'All the moments I got, like, cut, traded, slighted, overlooked. But also all the joy, all the things that my family has comforted me in, all the life lessons. Everything that's turned me into the man and the human being that I am today.' It's been a similar journey for Haliburton, who had played second-fiddle in Sacramento to De'Aaron Fox. His trade to Indiana allowed him to express himself, and it's seen him turn into one of the best playmakers in the NBA. 'This is a franchise that took a chance on me, saw something that other people didn't see in me,' Haliburton said of the Pacers. 'Sometimes, I think they saw more in me than I saw in myself.' That doesn't mean he's universally loved around the league though, with The Athletic conducting an anonymous survey of NBA players who voted Haliburton as the league's most overrated player. Though his play and game-winners this postseason have surely changed some of those opinions. For the Thunder or Pacers to have any chance of winning this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy, it will likely rest on their star guards' shoulders to get them to the finish line.
USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
2025 NBA Finals MVP odds: Can Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pull off rare double?
2025 NBA Finals MVP odds: Can Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pull off rare double? Show Caption Hide Caption Thunder's path to the Finals With elite defense and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on their side, are the Thunder poised to dominate the NBA Finals? Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already won the 2025 NBA MVP award. Is a Finals MVP next for the All-Star guard? Gilgeous-Alexander is the betting favorite to hoist the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player as the Thunder set to face the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. If he's able to accomplish the feat, Gilgeous-Alexander would become the 11th player in NBA history to win the league MVP and Finals MVP in the same season, joining Willis Reed (1969-70), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71), Moses Malone (1982-83), Larry Bird (1983-84, 1985-86), Magic Johnson (1986-87), Michael Jordan (1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98), Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94), Shaquille O'Neal (1999-00), Tim Duncan (2002-03) and LeBron James (2011-12, 2012-13). Here's a look at the latest NBA Finals MVP odds, in addition to the full NBA Finals schedule and how to watch: NBA Finals MVP odds *All odds via BetMGM, as of Wednesday Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-625) Tyrese Haliburton (+700) Pascal Siakam (+1600) Jalen Williams (+3000) Chet Holmgren (+8000) Myles Turner (+25000) Luguentz Dort (+25000) Andrew Nembhard (+35000) Alex Caruso (+50000) How to watch the NBA Finals The 2025 NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers will air on ABC. Fans can stream it on Fubo (offers a free trial) and SlingTV. Watch the NBA Finals with Fubo NBA Finals 2025: Schedule, time, TV channel, live streaming All times Eastern. *-if necessary Game 1, June 5: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 2, June 8: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Game 3, June 11: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 4, June 13 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 5, June 16 : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 6, June 19 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 7, June 22: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m.* 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.
