PREVIEW: The NBA Finals kick off Thursday night with an unexpected Midwest matchup between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, a series that defies traditional championship narratives. Indiana hasn't reached the Finals since 2000, and this run represents a breakthrough for a franchise long stuck in playoff purgatory. Led by Tyrese Haliburton's masterful playmaking and Pascal Siakam's consistent two-way performance, the Pacers have disrupted playoff expectations . Despite limited ShotQuality data, the Pacers have demonstrated remarkable offensive adaptability throughout their postseason journey. Oklahoma City arrives with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, who have been instrumental in their success. The Thunder boast the NBA Playoffs' best defense, limiting opponents to 106.2 points per 100 possessions and forcing an impressive 18% of turnovers. They've dominated their regular-season meetings, winning both games by significant margins with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 33 and 45 points. While both teams prefer a chaotic, fast-paced game, the Thunder appear to have an edge in nearly every positional matchup, potentially overwhelming the resilient Pacers.