Dwyane Wade Predicts 2025 NBA Finals Matchup
The NBA Conference Finals are set, and that means one thing—the league is down to its final four teams.
In the West, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves will go head-to-head with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Over in the East, Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers will take on Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks.
Advertisement
Before the action tipped off Tuesday night with Game 1 between the Timberwolves and Thunder at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade locked in his 2025 Finals prediction.
Wade, a three-time NBA champion and 2006 Finals MVP, knows what it takes to reach the sport's biggest stage—he appeared in five NBA Finals over his 16-year career.
His pick? The Timberwolves versus the Knicks.
Wynetwork shared Wade's prediction on Instagram.
Dwyane Wade's 2025 NBA Finals prediction.@wynetwork/Instagram
If he stands corrected, the Timberwolves would make their first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history. In fact, this marks just their third trip to the Western Conference Finals.
Advertisement
If his prediction holds true, the Timberwolves would be heading to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. This year marks just their third appearance in the Western Conference Finals—and their second in as many seasons.
Minnesota finished sixth in the West with a 49–33 record. One key concern heading into their series against OKC is their tendency to turn the ball over. The Timberwolves ranked 19th in the NBA in turnover rate this season, while the Thunder led the league in opponent turnover rate.
As for the Knicks, while this current roster has yet to reach the NBA Finals, the franchise has been there plenty of times. New York has made eight Finals appearances between 1951 and 1999, winning championships in 1970 and 1973.
This season, they finished third in the East with a 51–31 record. The Knicks and Pacers will meet for the second straight postseason. Last year, Indiana got the better of New York, winning their conference semifinal series in seven games.
Related: Tyrese Haliburton's Parting Gesture to Cavaliers Fans
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
23 minutes ago
- USA Today
Stars fire coach Pete DeBoer after third straight Western Conference final appearance
Stars fire coach Pete DeBoer after third straight Western Conference final appearance Show Caption Hide Caption Are Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup bound? Former NHLer weighs in Former NHL winger Riley Cote explains what he loves about this Edmonton Oilers team ahead of the Western Conference Finals. Sports Seriously The Dallas Stars fired head coach Pete DeBoer after three seasons in which he led the team to three straight Western Conference Finals appearances, the team announced Friday. The move comes after the Stars were eliminated in five games by the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals, despite having home-ice advantage. In Game 5, DeBoer was questioned after he benched goalie Jake Oettinger after he gave up two goals in the first seven minutes and admitted he didn't talk to Oettinger about his decision making. 'After careful consideration, we believe that a new voice is needed in our locker room to push us closer to our goal of winning the Stanley Cup,' Stars general manager Jim Nill said. 'We'd like to thank Pete for everything that he has helped our organization achieve over the past three seasons and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.' Under DeBoer, Dallas had a 149-68-29 record and made major moves to put them in position for a championship run, including a March trade that landed them forward Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes received a haul in the exchange, which included forward Logan Stankoven, a conditional 2026 first-round pick, a conditional 2028 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick. Rantanten, who had nine goals and 13 assists during the 2025 playoffs, was immediately signed to an eight-year, $96 million contract extension. DeBoer, 56, had one year remaining on his contract with the Stars and has taken three different teams to the conference finals in the last seven seasons, including the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020, who lost to the Stars and the San Jose Sharks in 2019.
Newsweek
27 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Shaquille O'Neal Shares Harsh Criticism for Thunder After NBA Finals Loss
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. The NBA Finals is officially underway and Game 1 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers did not disappoint. While the Thunder were certainly disappointed, fans got to witness a shocking comeback from the Pacers and pure basketball entertainment. Despite leading the game by a score of 108-99 with 2:52 remaining in the game, Oklahoma City could not put Indiana away. Instead, the Thunder ended up losing by a final score of 111-110 on another game-winner from Tyrese Haliburton. Just like the Pacers have done before in this playoff run, they were able to steal a game that they had no business winning. That has worked out well for them this postseason. Shaquille O'Neal speaks during Pepsi Stronger Together and CTG Foundation Atlanta Law Enforcement Press Conference on April 07, 2021 in McDonough, Georgia. Shaquille O'Neal speaks during Pepsi Stronger Together and CTG Foundation Atlanta Law Enforcement Press Conference on April 07, 2021 in McDonough, Georgia. Photo byfor Pepsi Stronger Together Following blowing Game 1, the Thunder sparked a harsh reaction from NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal. He spoke out with major criticism about Oklahoma City. Read more: Jon Gruden Makes Shocking Pick in Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals "It's not just another game. I understand it's your first time here," O'Neal said. "There may be another chance you don't get back. This is not another game. This is the NBA Finals. This is the championship run. You gotta have that killer. When you get a team down, you gotta put your foot on their throat." O'Neal could not be more accurate with his take on the situation. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Knicks allowed Indiana to make a massive comeback in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden. They were unable to recover from blowing that win. In the loss, the Thunder saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put together a strong performance. He scored 38 points on 14-for-30 shooting. Jalen Williams, on the other hand, scored just 17 points on 6-for-19 shooting, while Chet Holmgren scored six points on 2-for-9 shooting. On the other side of the court, Pascal Siakam led the way for Indiana with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Haliburton chipped in 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, while Obi Toppin came off the bench for 17. Read more: Clippers Seen as Sleeper Team to Land Former NBA MVP: Report Gilgeous-Alexander spoke out after the loss with blunt honesty. "We had control of the game for the most part," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Now, it's a 48-minute game. And they teach you that lesson more than anyone else in the league — the hard way." Game 2 will be played on Sunday evening at 8 p.m. ET. After blowing Game 1, the Thunder need to rebound strong. As for the Pacers, they'll look to steal both games on the road, which would be a major stunner. For more on Pacers, Thunder, and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dallas Stars fire head coach Pete DeBoer after 3 seasons
The Dallas Stars are parting ways with head coach Pete DeBoer after he led the team to three straight Western Conference Finals appearances. On Friday, the team announced it fired DeBoer despite having one more year on his contract. The coach had been in charge of the Stars since 2022. Advertisement 'After careful consideration, we believe that a new voice is needed in our locker room to push us closer to our goal of winning the Stanley Cup,' general manager Jim Nill said in a statement. 'We'd like to thank Pete for everything that he has helped our organization achieve over the past three seasons and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.' This breaking news story will be updated.
