NBA Finals 2025: Here’s how the Thunder and Pacers compare

FORECAST. JONATHAN. GAME ONE OF THE NBA FINALS TONIGHT AT THE PAYCOM CENTER. RIGHT NOW, THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM. EVERYBODY. THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER PLAYING TO WIN IT ALL FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2012. YESTERDAY THE THUNDER TOOK TO THE COURT TO PRACTICE IN FRONT OF NATIONAL MEDIA. AND NOW IT IS GAME TIME. KOCO JORDAN RYAN JOINS US FROM THE PAYCOM CENTER WITH PLANS IN STORE FOR FANS TONIGHT. IT’S GOING TO BE A GOOD ONE. A STORM IS BREWING HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY. AND IT’S NOT JUST THE RAIN FROM ABOVE THE THUNDER. THEY ARE READY TO PLAY. ALL OF THE MAGIC IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING TONIGHT. RIGHT BEHIND ME HERE AT THE PAYCOM CENTER. YOU CAN FEEL THE EXCITEMENT ALREADY THIS MORNING, BUT YOU GUYS, WHAT’S REALLY COOL ABOUT THIS? NO MATTER WHAT, THIS IS GOING TO BE A HISTORIC EVENT. THE INDIANA PACERS VERSUS THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER FIGHTING FOR THAT CHAMPIONSHIP. NEITHER TEAM HAS EVER WON IT. SO THEY WANT IT ALL. SGA SAYS HE IS READY TO FIGHT FOR THIS WIN. I SAID THIS SO MANY TIMES, BUT I DON’T PLAY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL STUFF. I DON’T PLAY FOR ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES WINNING, AND I NEVER HAVE. MY WHOLE LIFE. I WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD, I PLAYED TO WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. WHEN I WAS 20 YEARS OLD, I PLAYED TO WIN THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP. AND NOW I’M 26 AND WANT TO WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. LIKE IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT WINNING FOR ME, AND THERE’S TONS OF EVENTS HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY. THUNDER UP IN THE PARK, OF COURSE, STARTS AT 4:00. YOU CAN WATCH THE GAME AT TONS OF LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND BARS, AND YOU CAN WATCH IT AT YOUR HOUSE, RIGHT ON KOCO

Updated: 2:28 PM CDT Jun 5, 2025

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NBA Finals 2025: Here’s how the Thunder and Pacers compare

Updated: 2:28 PM CDT Jun 5, 2025

Editorial Standards ��

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers will face off in the NBA Finals, which start Thursday night.For both teams, a championship would be historic.If the Pacers win the best-of-seven series, it would be the franchise’s first championship. The last time the Pacers were in the finals was in 2000.The Thunder franchise won an NBA championship in 1979 when they were the Seattle SuperSonics, but the team has not won a title since it moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. The last time the team made a finals appearance was in 2012. How do the Thunder and Pacers compare? During the regular season, both teams' stats are pretty close. The Thunder, however, averaged more points, rebounds, three-pointers, steals and blocks than the Pacers.The Pacers had a higher field goal percentage, assists and turnovers in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Thunder performed better at home games. The Thunder scored 12.3% more points at home playoff games than on the road. More notably, they won eight games at home, twice what they did at away games, and only lost one game at home.For the Pacers, at home or away games don’t make much of a difference. The team had an even split of wins and losses at home and away.The Pacers scored about 1.7% more in home playoff games than away. Past NBA Finals championsOf all the 78 NBA Finals, about 40% of champions clinch their win in Game 6. Less than 12% of NBA Finals were ever won in Game 4.See all NBA Finals champions and the game in which each series was won, starting from 1947, in the graphic below.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=

WASHINGTON —

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers will face off in the NBA Finals, which start Thursday night.

For both teams, a championship would be historic.

If the Pacers win the best-of-seven series, it would be the franchise’s first championship. The last time the Pacers were in the finals was in 2000.

The Thunder franchise won an NBA championship in 1979 when they were the Seattle SuperSonics, but the team has not won a title since it moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. The last time the team made a finals appearance was in 2012.

How do the Thunder and Pacers compare?

During the regular season, both teams' stats are pretty close. The Thunder, however, averaged more points, rebounds, three-pointers, steals and blocks than the Pacers.

The Pacers had a higher field goal percentage, assists and turnovers in the regular season.

In the playoffs, the Thunder performed better at home games. The Thunder scored 12.3% more points at home playoff games than on the road.

More notably, they won eight games at home, twice what they did at away games, and only lost one game at home.

For the Pacers, at home or away games don’t make much of a difference. The team had an even split of wins and losses at home and away.

The Pacers scored about 1.7% more in home playoff games than away.

Past NBA Finals champions

Of all the 78 NBA Finals, about 40% of champions clinch their win in Game 6. Less than 12% of NBA Finals were ever won in Game 4.

See all NBA Finals champions and the game in which each series was won, starting from 1947, in the graphic below.

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