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Rare NBA Finals Matchup Set After Nearly 20-Year Wait
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The 2025 NBA Finals are set.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Indiana Pacers for a chance to be crowned NBA champions. The Thunder and Pacers have proven to be two of the elite teams throughout the regular season, especially in the second half of the season and, more notably, in the playoffs.
The Thunder and Pacers head into the NBA Finals each sporting a 12-4 postseason record, both chasing a historic first championship for their respective franchises. From a pure basketball perspective, this matchup promises plenty of intrigue, but let's be honest — almost no one saw this coming.
It wasn't just fans who were caught off guard. The league itself didn't anticipate this outcome.
For the first time in nearly 20 years, neither of the teams playing in the Finals appeared on the NBA's Christmas Day slate — a clear sign of just how unexpected this Finals showdown truly is.
Pascal Siakam #43 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball around Adam Flagler #14 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center on March 29, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Pascal Siakam #43 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball around Adam Flagler #14 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center on March 29, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Photo byFor the first time since 2007, the NBA Finals will feature two teams who didn't play on Christmas Day, per @tomhaberstroh.
Kinda crazy when you think about it. — Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 1, 2025
The tradition of playing on Christmas Day for the NBA is a prestigious one. It's one of the very first games announced on the schedule, and it features five games throughout the day.
The 10 teams featured are typically viewed as the league's elite — organizations and players the NBA holds in especially high regard. Participation often reflects both on-court success and market appeal, signaling who the league expects to be front and center on the biggest stages.
These games are typically marquee matchups, attracting significant viewership and are often seen as a major stage for players and teams. By the looks of it, the NBA did not hold the Pacers or the Thunder in that regard.
The fact that neither team had a Christmas Day game is a bit jarring. The Pacers are a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals and proved to be a formidable team.
As for the Thunder, their absence from the Christmas Day schedule made no sense. Oklahoma City was coming off a season in which they locked up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and were considered one of the top teams to win and make the Finals this season.
Not only is that the case, but they also had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on their side, one of the favorites to win the MVP at the time, and he went on to win it this season.
Both teams have proved to be elite, and these NBA Finals should be an entertaining one.
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For more Thunder, Pacers, and NBA news and rumors, head on over to Newsweek Sports
