Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers
PREVIEW: The 2025 NBA Finals matchup is set, as the Indiana Pacers will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder with Game 1 tipping off on June 5. The Thunder posted the second-fattest net rating (12.7) in league history while smothering other teams' offensive schemes. Oklahoma City's defensive profile is elite, ranking first in limiting shots attacking the rim and first in defending those attempts, while the Pacers rank 25th in allowing such looks and 30th in defending them. This matchup presents a fascinating chess match, with the Pacers' pace-oriented offense facing one of the greatest defensive units of all-time, a combination neither team has truly encountered before.
The Thunder employ a swarming defensive style that leaves shooters open, and it remains to be seen whether Indiana's role players can capitalize on those opportunities. Indiana showcases elite offensive rebounding at 31.2 percent, ranking fourth league-wide, while the Thunder struggle significantly with just 22.3 percent rebounding efficiency. Oklahoma City forces a league-leading volume of turnovers while maintaining the second-best turnover avoidance rate, whereas Indiana's 26th-ranked turnover-forcing ability could prove problematic. The Pacers ranked outside the top 10 in NBA title odds entering the postseason only to upset the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and dispose of the New York Knicks to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years.