The seeds for the 2025 NBA Finals started getting planted unknowingly in 2017, again when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was about to enroll at Kentucky and Tyrese Haliburton was preparing for his senior 12 months of highschool in Wisconsin.
That was the 12 months the Indiana Pacers traded Paul George to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. The Pacers landed Domantas Sabonis out of that deal. The Thunder would commerce George in 2019 to the Los Angeles Clippers for a bundle that included Gilgeous-Alexander. The Pacers would commerce Sabonis in 2022 to Sacramento for a bundle that included Haliburton.
And right here we’re.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the NBA’s MVP and Oklahoma Metropolis’s greatest participant. Haliburton is an Olympic gold medalist and Indiana’s greatest participant. They’ll lead their groups into Recreation 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday evening — Indiana at Oklahoma Metropolis, the beginning of a sequence that may determine who hoists the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
“Man, I’m simply so happy with this group,” Haliburton mentioned within the on-court televised interview with TNT after the Pacers’ 125-108 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday in Recreation 6 of the Jap Convention finals. “I don’t even have phrases proper now. It’s actually thrilling. We’ll take pleasure in this one for now. There’s 4 extra, there’s much more work to do, in opposition to a extremely robust crew.”
The Thunder — relying on the way you rely — are within the finals for both the second time or the fifth time. The franchise, when it was in Seattle, misplaced what was then known as the NBA World Championship Sequence to Washington in 1978, then gained the title in a rematch in opposition to the then-Bullets in 1979 and misplaced within the NBA Finals to Chicago in 1996. Oklahoma Metropolis obtained to the finals in 2012, dropping to Miami.
The Thunder are 80-18 this season, after going 68-14 within the common season after which 12-4 within the playoffs — sweeping Memphis in Spherical 1, surviving seven video games in opposition to Denver in Spherical 2 after which ousting Minnesota in 5 video games for the Western Convention title.
“Whenever you win, that’s a particular factor,” Thunder ahead Chet Holmgren mentioned. “It’s not assured on this league. If all people was assured to win, it’d be a participation trophy as a substitute of a Larry O’Brien. So, it’s important to type of take it in and perceive what you’ve completed to that time, however then the subsequent day it’s important to begin turning the web page, do away with the feelings and begin specializing in preparation and what it’s important to do to overcome the subsequent step. And that’s the place we’re at.”
Indiana is within the NBA title spherical for the second time, having misplaced to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. The Pacers franchise gained ABA titles in 1970, 1972 and 1973. They obtained out of the Jap Convention because the No. 4 seed, beating Milwaukee in 5 video games in Spherical 1, beating top-seeded Cleveland in 5 video games in Spherical 2 after which beating New York within the convention finals.
The Pacers have been 10-15 via the primary 25 video games of the season — then went 40-17 to complete the common season. They’re the fourth crew to start out 10-15 or worse and go on to win a convention title, becoming a member of Seattle in 1977-78 (8-17), the 1956-57 St. Louis Hawks (10-15) and the 1958-59 Minneapolis Lakers (10-15). None of these groups went on to win the NBA title.
“In 49 states, it’s simply basketball,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned. “However that is Indiana. … Our guys earned this. Congratulations to our guys.”
Oklahoma Metropolis swept the season sequence with Indiana 2-0, a part of a daily season the place the Thunder — who completed with the NBA’s greatest file — went 29-1 in opposition to the Jap Convention. That doesn’t embody a loss to Milwaukee within the NBA Cup last, a recreation that didn’t rely in any standings.
So, the matchup is ready. It’s the Paul George finals, albeit with out Paul George — who had arguably one of the best season of his profession with the Thunder, averaging 28 factors and ending third within the MVP voting for 2018-19 — beginning at OKC on Thursday.
“Clearly, he wasn’t right here lengthy however he had nice years right here,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault mentioned Saturday when requested about George’s influence. “I imply, top-of-the-line years of his profession was right here, top-of-the-line particular person seasons a participant’s had right here — which is saying one thing right here with the fellows they’ve had. So, I’ve lots of respect for him.”
___
AP NBA: