There will be a first-time NBA champion in 2025.
The Western Conference’s top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder meet the Eastern Conference’s No. 4-seeded Indiana Pacers in this year’s NBA Finals. The small market teams have a combined two prior Finals appearances and zero championships in their current franchise locations.
The Thunder technically have one championship, which was won in 1979, across three other appearances in franchise, but those came as the Seattle SuperSonics. The SuperSonics moved from Seattle to OKC and rebranded as the Thunder in 2008.
NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. enter the Finals having lost just 18 total games across the regular season and postseason. The Thunder went 68-14 in the regular season, tying for the sixth-most victories in NBA history. They then swept the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies to open playoffs before outlasting three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the No. 4 Denver Nuggets in a seven-game battle and taking down the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in a five-game conference finals.
The Thunder’s only previous Finals appearance came in 2012, when Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden lost to the Big Three Miami Heat in five games.
The Pacers, like the Thunder, are searching for their first championship in the franchise’s second appearance. But Indiana’s second Finals berth was much more surprising than OKC’s.
After being swept in last year’s conference finals, the Pacers posted a 50-32 record in the regular season and opened the playoffs by bouncing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks in five games. Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Co. then stunned the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games before eliminating the No. 3 New York Knicks for the second straight postseason, this time in six games in the conference finals.
This is Indiana’s first Finals appearance since 2000, when the Reggie Miller-led Pacers fell to Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
So, will the Pacers or Thunder bring a historic first championship to their home cities? Here’s how to watch the 2025 NBA Finals:
Who has home-court advantage in the 2025 NBA Finals?
The Thunder will have home-court advantage in the NBA Finals due to recording a superior regular-season record.
What is the format for the NBA Finals?
The NBA Finals are best-of-seven with a 2-2-1-1-1 format. Oklahoma City will host Games 1 and 2, along with the potential Games 5 and 7.
What day do the NBA Finals start?
The NBA Finals begin Thursday, June 5.
2025 NBA Finals schedule
Game 1: Pacers at Thunder — Thursday, June 5, 8:30 p.m. ET Game 2: Pacers at Thunder — Sunday, June 8, 8 p.m. ET Game 3: Thunder at Pacers — Wednesday, June 11, 8:30 p.m. ET Game 4: Thunder at Pacers — Friday, June 13, 8:30 p.m. ET Game 5 (if necessary): Pacers at Thunder — Monday, June 16, 8:30 p.m. ET Game 6 (if necessary): Thunder at Pacers — Thursday, June 19, 8:30 p.m. ET Game 7 (if necessary): Pacers at Thunder — Sunday, June 22, 8 p.m. ETWhat TV channel are the NBA Finals on?
All NBA Finals games will air on ABC.
Where to stream the NBA Finals live online
The action will also be available to stream on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
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