7 days ago
NBA Makes Big Announcement Before Thunder-Pacers Finals
NBA Makes Big Announcement Before Thunder-Pacers Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are hot as they enter the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. The Thunder made relatively quick work of the Minnesota Timberwolves, defeating them 4-1 in a gentleman's sweep in the Western Conference Finals.
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As for the Pacers, they wrapped up an action-packed series with one of their biggest rivals in the New York Knicks and won the series 4-2. The Pacers' road to the NBA Finals has been impressive, knocking off the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks.
Mar 29, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) drives down the court beside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the second half at Paycom Center. © Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
NBA makes big announcement before Thunder-Pacers Finals
While the matchup between the Thunder and the Pacers isn't what some would call a big-market series, the level of play these two teams have shown to get to this point has been sensational.
Ahead of Game 1, the NBA announced which referees will be officiating throughout the NBA Finals. The list included notable names such as David Guthrie, Tony Brothers, Zach Zarba, and Scott Foster.
The Thunder will hope this trip back to the NBA Finals goes better than the last time they made it in 2012, when they lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. As for the Pacers, this marks their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2000, when they lost to Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers.
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No matter which team wins, it'll be the first championship in the respective organization's history. But the Thunder are overwhelming favorites at -700, which implies a probability of 87.5%.
The Thunder continue to display the dominance they showed in the regular season when they finished with the best record in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to be the best player in the league, night in and night out. Add that to their suffocating defense, and the Thunder might just be able to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
