The 2024-25 NBA season, which commenced in October, has culminated in the NBA Finals, where only the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers remain as the final two contenders vying for the championship.
Emerging from the Western Conference, the Thunder demonstrated dominance by overcoming the Minnesota Timberwolves in just five games. Their success was significantly fueled by NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who delivered spectacular performances, scoring over 30 points in four of those matchups. This marks the second time the Thunder franchise has reached the Finals, and they are seeking their first title since relocating to Oklahoma City. (As the Seattle SuperSonics, the franchise previously won a championship in 1979 before moving in 2008).
In the Eastern Conference, the Pacers secured their place in the Finals after an exciting six-game series victory against the New York Knicks. Key performances throughout the postseason included Eastern Conference finals MVP Pascal Siakam and a historic Game 4 effort from Tyrese Haliburton. This is Indiana`s second appearance in the NBA Finals, as they continue their pursuit of the franchise`s first-ever NBA title.
With Game 1 of the Finals scheduled for Thursday evening, a panel of NBA experts has offered their insights and predictions for how the highly anticipated series will unfold.
Expert Series Picks
Indiana Pacers (4) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (1)
Victoria Arlen: Thunder in 6
Jerry Bembry: Thunder in 6
Tim Bontemps: Thunder in 5
Chris Canty: Pacers in 7
Evan Cohen: Thunder in 5
Freddie Coleman: Pacers in 6
Courtney Cronin: Thunder in 6
Harry Douglas: Thunder in 6
Ian Fitzsimmons: Thunder in 6
Joe Fortenbaugh: Thunder in 5
Emmett Golden: Thunder in 6
Chris Herring: Thunder in 5
Zach Kram: Thunder in 5
Bobby Marks: Thunder in 5
Myron Medcalf: Thunder in 5
Dave McMenamin: Thunder in 6
Q Myers: Thunder in 6
Gabe Neitzel: Thunder in 5
Neil Paine: Thunder in 5
Kevin Pelton: Thunder in 5
Omar Raja: Thunder in 5
Jay Reynolds: Thunder in 6
Michelle Smallmon: Thunder in 6
Ramona Shelburne: Thunder in 5
Andre Snellings: Thunder in 7
Marc Spears: Thunder in 7
Amber Wilson: Thunder in 5
Jeremy Woo: Pacers in 7
Michael C. Wright: Thunder in 6
Clinton Yates: Thunder in 5
Ohm Youngmisuk: Thunder in 6
Jonathan Zaslow: Thunder in 4
Final Prediction Tally
Oklahoma City: 29 votes, Indiana: 3 votes