By: Marcus A. Gonzalez
When the NBA Playoffs tipped off on April 19th, many people thought that this year’s Final’s would have something the NBA hadn’t seen since 2016 – a final showdown between the Eastern and Western Conference Champion’s top seeds. And after the first round, many people were sold on the idea.
However, what not many people were expecting what that it would not last long, as the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Indiana Pacers entered the chat, and flipped the script, sending the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers packing in five games, and went on to steal the hearts of the New York Knicks and their fans, building off the momentum of a thrilling Game 1 win at Madison Square Garden, and eventually taking the series in six close games.
On the other hand, coming out of the Western Conference were the NBA’s top seed in the Oklahoma City Thunder, who won a franchise record 68 games en route to their first Finals appearance since 2012.
Embed from Getty ImagesIndiana Pacers
On April 22, the results of the 2025 Anonymous NBA Players Poll were announced. What caught the eye of many was that Tyrese Haliburton, the face of Indiana’s franchise, was voted by his peers as the most overrated player in the NBA with 14.4%, followed by Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert (10%) and Atlanta’s Trae Young (8.9%).
The Anonymous NBA Players Poll is an annual survey conducted by a pool of 158 players, with at least one player from every team representing. The players vote on who they think is the league’s MVP, most underrated players, overrated players, and place their opinions on many other topics.
Fox Radio’s Dan Beyer chimed in on this matter by saying “I think it’s because his jump shot is so ugly. I honestly feel like that is a part of it.” And to be fair, he is not wrong. During the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indiana, referee Tony Brothers approached Haliburton and jokingly mocked him by saying “do your job,” before imitating Haliburton’s jump shot.
Haliburton is a two-time NBA All-Star, as well as a two-time member of the All-NBA Third Team. And to say he took this personally, it would be an understatement.
The Pacers went on to dominate their first round series against their division rival Milwaukee bucks, led by superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Haliburton put the team on his back throughout the series, averaging 17 points per game to go with four steals and four blocks, eventually hitting the game-winning layup in Game 5 to send the Pacers into the second round.
In the second round, they were matched up with the high-powered 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers team that was trying to make their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2018.
The Pacers proved that they thrive as the underdog, shocking the world by easily defeating the East’s top seed in five games, advancing to their second-straight Eastern Conference Finals.
In the conference finals, they were matched with a familiar foe: the New York Knicks.
For the fourth time in their franchise history, the Indiana Pacers would have to face their arch nemesis in the conference finals (and ninth time overall in the playoffs) for the right to play in the NBA Finals.
The Pacers ripped the Knicks hearts out and fed them to them in a stunning Game 1 win at MSG, thanks to red-hot shooting from Aaron Nesmith, and a Tyrese Haliburton game-tying jump shot at the end of regulation that shifted the momentum into the Pacers’ favor.
They rode that new momentum throughout the series, proving that they are a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Knicks in six games (4-2) and advancing to their first NBA Finals since 2000.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Oklahoma City Thunder have stormed into the 2025 NBA Finals, looking to claim their first championship since relocating from Seattle. After finishing the regular season with a league-best 68 wins, they’ve proven to be the most dominant team in basketball.
Led by the top-ranked defense in the NBA, the Thunder proved last year’s defeat at the hand of the eventual-Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks was the fluke.
Many experts and analysts picked the Thunder to come out of the Western Conference in the pre-season predictions, and the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-led squad proved why they were the favorites to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy.
In round , the Thunder made quick work of the eight-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. A Game 1 131-80 victory set the tone for series, as the Thunder would once again defeat the Grizzlies by 30+ points. As the series shifted to Memphis for Games 3 and 4, they proved to be too much for the gritty Memphis team, sweeping them in Memphis.
Round 2 though would not be an easy task, as they were matched up against the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets team that were led by the three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, and many analysts picked the Nuggets to upset them. And that looked like it was the case after Game 1, as Denver’s Aaron Gordon sank a go-ahead three pointer with seconds left in Game 1 to give the Nuggets the 1-0 series lead.
The teams traded blows throughout the series, but SGA proved why he won the MVP over Jokić with a Game 5 masterclass. Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 31 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, as the all the Thunder’s starters scored in double-digits. The Nuggets put up a fight though, with Nikola Jokić scoring a game-high 44 points to go with 15 rebounds and five assists, headlined by a ridiculous turnaround shot with two minutes left to play.
However, the Thunder’s depth outlasts the Nuggets all the way through Game 7, as the Thunder advanced with a 125-93 win, advancing to their first Western Conference Final since 2016.
In the Conference Finals, they made quick work of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were looking to redeem themselves after also falling to the Mavericks in last year’s conference finals. Although the Wolves rallied every now and then, they proved to be no match for the West’s top seed, as the Thunder became the youngest team ever to reach the NBA Finals.
The Indiana Pacers have been the surprise team of the playoffs, overcoming the odds of reaching the Finals. OKC swept Indiana in the regular season, but the Pacers have been playing their best basketball at the right time.
The Thunder’s elite defense, led by Lu Dort and Caruso, will be tested against Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, who have carried Indiana’s offense throughout the postseason. OKC’s ability to control the pace and dominate the boards will be crucial in this series.
Game 1 tips off Thursday, June 5 in Oklahoma City and can be heard on 730 The Game beginning at 7:30 PM EST.
