The Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Indiana Pacers in the championship round. The global audience will see some fresh characters as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton will make their Finals debut.

Indiana's efficient offense collides with Oklahoma City's relentless defense in a Finals matchup that will produce a 1st-time NBA champion.

So, the matchup is set. It’s the Paul George finals, albeit without Paul George — who had arguably the best season of his career with the Thunder, averaging 28 points and finishing third in the MVP voting for 2018-19 — starting at OKC on Thursday.

As a nine-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA player, George has clearly had one of the better careers of his generation. But for all his individual accomplishments, the Philadelphia 76ers forward hasn't been all that close to the NBA Finals in over a decade. That hasn't come from a lack of trying in dictating where he's played.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark celebrated the Indiana Pacers' Game 6 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday night to clinch a berth in the NBA Finals.

Indiana Pacers Playing Fast Will Be Key to Beating OKC Thunder originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Pacers lost only four games in the postseason as they marched to their first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years, and they will match up against the Oklahoma City Thunder, another team looking to win its first title.

Paul George has been traded from the Pacers and Thunder before, and now both teams are facing off in the NBA Finals.

The Indiana Pacers aren't strangers to being underdogs after winning each of their last two playoff series as such. But after topping the New York Knicks to advance to their first NBA Finals since 2000,

As the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers prepare to square off in the 2025 NBA Finals, they could make like a pair of divorced parents and share that honor with Paul George. In Game 1, he could be courtside at OKC.

Now, Gilgeous-Alexander will look to lead the Thunder to their first NBA championship in franchise history. Of course, the Thunder won a title back in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics, but they gave up their Seattle history when they moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Game 1 with the Pacers is set for Thursday at 8:30 p.m. EDT.