The 2025 NBA Finals tips off Thursday night with a highly-anticipated matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers.
Both teams are seeking their first NBA Championship. But winning Game 1 doesn't guarantee anything.
Brad Brown and Cayden McFarland with the Scripps News Group stations in Indianapolis and Tulsa break down some of the things to watch for as two small market teams take the biggest stage in the NBA.
"I've tried to dub this the flyover state showdown, no takers yet," McFarland joked. "... I understand what some folks around the country may be thinking about this particular matchup and, yeah, the answer from us here in Oklahoma is we simply do not care. For the Thunder, way back in 2012, we were all surprised by that run to the Finals with 22-year-old Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. And we all thought we'd be back five, six times in 13 years since. That has not happened. So to go through a real valley and come back up the other side and be in the NBA Finals with this team, which only has one top five pick — incredible what Sam Presti has done to build this thing — this state does not care about what the TV ratings may be. The Thunder are four wins away from an NBA Championship. That's all that matters."
Brown, meanwhile, hopes the outcome swings in a different direction.
"It's been 25 years since the Pacers played in the NBA Finals and that team meant so much, not just to Indianapolis, but to the Hoosier State," he contended. "... This team has surprised many this year with how the stars have come together after a slow start to the season. The saying goes that in 49 other states it's just basketball. But this is Indiana. This is very much the kind of team that has the city and the state excited. Coach Rick Carlisle said at media yesterday that he hopes people around the country watch these two teams play — not just the Pacers, but the Thunder — and see just the fast-paced, exciting brand of basketball these young guys are bringing to the table, and they buy into it. This is the future of the NBA."
Watch our full interview and NBA Finals Game 1 preview in the video player above.
