The anticipation for the 2025 NBA Finals is building, with the championship series set to tip off soon. One participant is confirmed: the Oklahoma City Thunder. Led by star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder organization has reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 13 years.
Their opponent will emerge from the Eastern Conference Finals, currently contested between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. As of now, the Pacers hold a 3-2 advantage in the series, aiming to secure their spot after the Knicks won Game 5 on Thursday.
The 2025 NBA Finals will commence on Thursday, June 5. The Oklahoma City Thunder will possess home-court advantage throughout the series, having finished the regular season with the league`s best record (68 wins) and securing the top seed in the Western Conference.
Interestingly, none of the three teams still competing have claimed an NBA championship in the last 45 years. The Indiana Pacers have yet to win an NBA title in their history (though they were dominant in the ABA, winning three championships in the 1970s). The New York Knicks` most recent championship dates back to 1973. The Thunder franchise won a title as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979 but has not lifted the Larry O`Brien Trophy since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008.
2025 NBA Finals Schedule
- Game 1: Thursday, June 5 | Thunder vs. Knicks/Pacers | 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 2: Sunday, June 8 | Thunder vs. Knicks/Pacers | 8 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 3: Wednesday, June 11 | Knicks/Pacers vs. Thunder | 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 4: Friday, June 13 | Knicks/Pacers vs. Thunder | 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- *Game 5: Monday, June 16 | Thunder vs. Knicks/Pacers | 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- *Game 6: Thursday, June 19 | Knicks/Pacers vs. Thunder | 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- *Game 7: Sunday, June 22 | Thunder vs. Knicks/Pacers | 8 p.m. ET, ABC
* Indicates if necessary.
2025 NBA Championship Odds
- Thunder: -750
- Pacers: +700
- Knicks: +1600
Jasper Hawthorne