NBA Finals Kick Off: Thunder Host Underdog Pacers in Small-Market Showdown

The NBA Finals are here, and it’s a clash of small-market titans as the Oklahoma City Thunder welcome the Indiana Pacers for Game 1 on Thursday night. This series promises to be a thrilling showdown between a dominant top seed and a gritty underdog with a knack for defying the odds.

The Thunder, holding the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference with an impressive 68-14 regular season record, are led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Their defense has been the talk of the league, boasting the best defensive rating in the NBA. OKC’s playoff journey hasn’t been without challenges—they pushed past the Denver Nuggets in a tough seven-game series and dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves in five to reach the Finals. This is their first Finals appearance since the days of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden, and they’re hungry for a title to mark their resurgence since relocating from Seattle.

On the other side, the Pacers are the ultimate underdog story. With a 50-32 record, good for fourth in the East, they’ve battled their way to their first Finals since 2000. Their postseason run has been nothing short of miraculous, pulling off comebacks that defy logic—three of the four biggest late-game turnarounds in playoff history since 1997 belong to this Indiana squad. They’ve taken down heavyweights like the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks to get here. A championship would be their first in the NBA, though they carry the legacy of three ABA titles from the 1970s.

The series follows a 2-2-1-1-1 format, starting with Games 1 and 2 in Oklahoma City on Thursday and Sunday, before shifting to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4 next week. If it comes down to the wire, a potential Game 7 would return to OKC on June 22. Expect fireworks as the Thunder’s defensive might meets the Pacers’ never-say-die spirit. Who will claim the crown in this battle of heart and hustle?