INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time in 25 years, the Indiana Pacers are in the NBA Finals.
The Blue and Gold took care of business Saturday night to beat the New York Knicks in six games. They had previously defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers (second round) and Milwaukee Bucks (first round) to advance in the playoffs.
The last time the Pacers were in the Finals, the roster featured players like Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose, Rik Smits, Chris Mullin, Mark Jackson, Dale Davis and Derrick McKey.
The top seed in the Eastern Conference ran into the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the decade’s most dominant teams. Anchored by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, the team would win back-to-back-to-back titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
The Pacers lost in six games in their only NBA Finals appearance. That’s all ancient history now.
Thunder await
Up next, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The top seed in the Western Conference finished the season with 68 wins against just 14 losses. Their lineup features Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the NBA’s most dangerous scorers and this year’s league MVP.
A first-round pick out of Kentucky in 2018, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game during the regular season. He’s nearly matched those numbers in the postseason, averaging 29.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.
He scored at least 30 points in 11 of the Thunder’s 16 games during the playoffs.
The Thunder boast one of the most dynamic defenses in the league, anchored by two members of the NBA All-Defensive Team: Lu Dort (first team) and Jalen Williams (second team). They have size at every position and can switch their defensive matchups.
Oklahoma City breezed through the first round, sweeping Memphis in four games. The Denver Nuggets took them to seven games in the West Semifinals before the Thunder responded with a dominant effort in the series-clinching win.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, the only blip a head-scratching 143-101 blowout loss in Game 3.
NBA Finals schedule
The Finals tip off Thursday. As the top seed with the better record, the Thunder hold homecourt advantage over the fourth-seeded Pacers.
That means Indiana will be on the road for the first two games. They’ve been good on the road this postseason with a 4-2 record. They lost a road game in the Milwaukee series, swept the Cavs on their homecourt in the second round and dropped a game to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Find the NBA Finals schedule below. All times are Eastern and games will air nationally on ABC.
- Game 1: Thursday, June 5, 8:30 p.m.; Pacers at Thunder, Paycom Center
- Game 2: Sunday, June 8, 8 p.m.; Pacers at Thunder, Paycom Center
- Game 3: Wednesday, June 11, 8:30 p.m., Thunder at Pacers, Gainbridge Fieldhouse
- Game 4: Friday, June 13, 8:30 p.m.; Thunder at Pacers, Gainbridge Fieldhouse
- Game 5: Monday, June 16, 8:30 p.m.; Pacers at Thunder, Paycom Center (if necessary)
- Game 6: Thursday, June 19, 8:30 p.m.; Thunder at Pacers, Gainbridge Fieldhouse (if necessary)
- Game 7: Sunday, June 22, 8 p.m.; Pacers at Thunder, Paycom Center (if necessary)