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The 2025 NBA Finals tip off Thursday night, with the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Indiana Pacers in Game 1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has led OKC to the title round for the first time since 2012, while Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers dispatched the Knicks to reach Indiana’s first NBA Finals in a quarter century. The Thunder are the heavy favorites in the series (-650 on DraftKings), but the Pacers are looking for their third consecutive series upset.
The Thunder have home-court advantage against Indiana after winning an NBA-best 68 games in the regular season. They cruised past the Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals in five games and have been resting for the past week.
Haliburton averaged 21.2 points, 10.5 assists, and six rebounds in six games against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals and will be the catalyst again for the Pacers as they battle OKC for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Indiana is taking aim at its first NBA championship (though the Pacers won three ABA titles in the 1970s). The Thunder won a championship as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979, but the team has never won it all since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008.
Thunder vs. Pacers: Game 1 info
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | Date: Thursday, June 5
Location: Paycom Center — Oklahoma City, OK
TV channel: ABC | Streaming: fubo (Try for free)
Odds (via bet365): Thunder -9.5, O/U: 230
CBS Sports will have live updates, highlights and analysis from Game 1. Follow along below.
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Halftime: Thunder 57 — Pacers 45
The Thunder’s defense continues to dominate. They’ve held the Pacers to just 45 points and forced a whopping 19 turnovers — more than the Pacers’ average of 12.7 per game for the playoffs — which has helped them build a double-digit lead heading into the break.
The only reason this game isn’t a complete blowout is because the Thunder haven’t been shooting the ball well. They’re at 37% for the game, which is worse than the Pacers’ 41.7% mark. However, the Thunder have taken 18 more shots thanks to their huge margin in the turnover battle.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a game-high 19 points but no one else on either team is in double figures. Lu Dort has also been terrific for the Thunder with nine points, four rebounds and four steals.
First quarter: Thunder 29 — Pacers 20
The Thunder have been the best defensive team in the league all season long, and their dominant first-quarter effort made it clear that won’t suddenly change. They have the high-octane Pacers completely out of sorts, and built an early lead despite not shooting the ball that well themselves.
The Pacers only turned the ball over 12.7 times per game through the first three rounds of the playoffs, but have nine in the first quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has 12 points to lead the way for the Thunder, but the rest of the team is just 6 of 15 from the field.
Wallace starts instead of Hartenstein for Thunder
Shortly before tip-off of Game 1 of the Finals, the Thunder surprised everyone by naming Cason Wallace as a starter instead of Isaiah Hartenstein, who had started their previous 16 playoff games.
While the Thunder have rolled with their two-big lineup throughout the playoffs, they clearly thin, that Wallace, a second-year guard, is a better matchup against the Pacers’ five-out, fast-paced offensive system.
This is a big change, and it will be interesting to see if it pays off for the Thunder.
Thunder make starting five switch
The Finals have not yet started, but OKC coach Mark Daigneault has already made a notable change. The Thunder are starting wing Cason Wallace in Game 1 and big man Isaiah Hartenstein will come off the bench. The Thunder are going smaller against the high-pace Pacers.
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Best bets for Thursday’s Game 1
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