Game 7! Everything to know for the Pacers-Thunder finale

3 hours ago 26

NBA insiders

Jun 22, 2025, 08:00 AM ET

Game 7s are the moments wherever legends are made.

These are the games -- with small borderline for mistake and everything connected the enactment -- that spell down successful the annals of history, peculiarly astatine this signifier of the playoffs erstwhile they are rare. Since the NBA-ABA merger astatine the commencement of the 1976-77 season, determination person been lone 8 winner-take-all games to determine the NBA title.

Sunday nighttime volition spot that fig turn to nine, erstwhile the big Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers quadrate disconnected successful Game 7 of the NBA Finals -- the archetypal clip that the league's title circular has gone the region since 2016. That crippled is, astatine a minimum, connected the abbreviated database for the top crippled successful the past of the sport, with LeBron James starring the Cleveland Cavaliers backmost from a 3-1 shortage successful the best-of-7 bid to dethrone the 73-win Golden State Warriors connected their location floor.

The Thunder person been waiting for their archetypal rubric since they near Seattle for Oklahoma City 17 years ago. The franchise has near the SuperSonics' past successful the past. Still, aft respective near-misses -- including an NBA Finals travel successful 2012 and league finals appearances successful 2014 and 2016 -- Oklahoma City had the seventh-most wins successful NBA past (68) this season. It volition beryllium the fifth-best team, successful presumption of wins, successful the past of the athletics if the Thunder tin assertion this year's title.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, would enactment himself successful rarified aerial if he's capable to triumph a title aft winning the scoring rubric and the league's regular-season MVP grant -- thing lone Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar person done.

This is simply a infinitesimal the Thunder were expected to beryllium successful each season. The aforesaid cannot beryllium said for their opponents, however, arsenic a triumph for Indiana volition headdress what has to beryllium 1 of the astir unexpected runs to a title successful the NBA. The Pacers person completed 1 historical comeback successful each of the 4 rounds of the playoffs, including prima defender Tyrese Haliburton completing an unparalleled tally of clutch shotmaking to spell on with Indiana's penchant for wearing down its opponents.

Coach Rick Carlisle, who led a likewise constructed Dallas Mavericks squad to a rubric against a monolithic favourite successful the James-led Miami Heat successful 2011, has already won 7 games successful the Finals arsenic an underdog, the astir successful NBA history.

Indiana volition besides gain its archetypal NBA title aft making the Finals with Reggie Miller starring the mode 25 years ago. It won a mates of ABA championships down Hall of Famers Mel Daniels and Roger Brown successful the 1970s.

The Pacers and Thunder volition beryllium 48 minutes distant from immortality erstwhile they instrumentality the tribunal Sunday night. Only 1 happening is for certain: Whatever happens, the crippled volition never beryllium forgotten. -- Tim Bontemps

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The biggest keys for the Thunder: Home-court advantage

Give the location assemblage a crushed to enactment loud. The Thunder earned the close to big the astir important crippled of the play by rolling to 68 wins and the champion grounds successful the league. The Paycom Center has been an awfully pugnacious spot for opponents to play this postseason.

The Thunder are 10-2 astatine location with 9 double-digit wins, including victories by 30- and 32-point margins successful elimination games the past 2 rounds.

The fans successful Oklahoma City -- a tiny marketplace with lone 1 big-league franchise -- supply a existent home-court vantage that Jalen Williams has compared to a precocious schoolhouse shot powerhouse, the benignant of programme that an full municipality revolves around. The stands volition beryllium packed with folks wearing the aforesaid T-shirts by the clip the layup lines begin. They'll beryllium loud, providing the Thunder "the upwind down our backs," arsenic manager Mark Daigneault puts it. -- Tim MacMahon

The biggest keys for the Pacers: Controlled chaos

Limit turnovers and power the pace. It's easier said than done against a defence arsenic swarming arsenic the Thunder's, but the Pacers person been astatine their champion erstwhile they've managed to triumph the turnover conflict and halt Oklahoma City from getting retired successful transition.

The results are twofold. Not turning the shot implicit allows the Pacers to effort much tract goals alternatively of coming distant with bare possessions and it stops the Thunder from getting casual modulation baskets, which makes their discourtesy thrive.

The Pacers privation a chaotic crippled controlled successful their favor, akin to Game 6, erstwhile Indiana was the squad flying astir the level portion Oklahoma City got stagnant trying to tally an discourtesy successful the fractional tribunal repeatedly. -- Jamal Collier

Players who volition plaything Game 7

Oklahoma City Thunder

Alex Caruso is the lone proven NBA champion connected the Thunder roster, the veteran person of this team and a subordinate who was a ascendant unit successful Oklahoma City's erstwhile Game 7 triumph against the Denver Nuggets.

Caruso wreaked havoc arsenic the superior defender against three-time MVP Nikola Jokic that afternoon, a large origin successful the 23 turnovers that the Thunder converted into 37 points. He was a plus-40 successful 26 minutes.

He's 1 of the toughest competitors successful the NBA, a feline who lives for this benignant of highest-stakes situation. Caruso has had his fingerprints each implicit Oklahoma City's playoff tally truthful far. Count connected that continuing successful Game 7. -- MacMahon

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers' extent has been their spot passim this playoff tally and T.J. McConnell has stepped up with a fantastic show successful this series. His high-energy benignant for 19 minutes per crippled has provided a spark successful each contention helium checks into, and he's averaging 11.3 points and 4.5 assists successful the bid connected 54% shooting.

Haliburton played done a calf wounded successful a high-stakes Game 6 and was effective, but not arsenic mobile arsenic usual, which means the Pacers are going to request a assortment of shot handlers to assistance support their gait and tally their offense.

McConnell astir surely won't triumph the Finals MVP with the efforts of Haliburton and Pascal Siakam coming up large for Indiana each series, but the mode McConnell and the seat portion person energized the squad -- and outplayed their reserve counterparts from OKC -- is simply a large crushed the Pacers person an accidental to triumph this series. -- Collier

If the Thunder triumph Game 7, we'll retrieve their rubric arsenic _____.

Crossing the decorativeness enactment for a historical play -- and taking the archetypal measurement successful a imaginable dynastic run.

Oklahoma City profiles statistically arsenic 1 of the astir ascendant teams of each clip with the champion regular-season constituent differential ever. The lone champion to decorativeness the play with much full wins than the Thunder's 84, if Oklahoma City finishes the job, was the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

Oklahoma City is successful this presumption with astir its full halfway consisting of ascending talent.

Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP who is conscionable entering his prime. Jalen Williams is an All-NBA sidekick inactive successful the comparatively aboriginal stages of his development, arsenic is Chet Holmgren, who has All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year potential.

GM Sam Presti inactive has an unprecedented treasure thorax of first-round draught picks to utilize to proceed adding endowment and possibly yet regenerate immoderate halfway players if hard payroll decisions effect successful departures.

This should beryllium the archetypal of galore Junes that this variation of the Thunder is the absorption of the hoops world. -- MacMahon

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Hibbert: Title would solidify Haliburton arsenic a Pacers great

Roy Hibbert says Tyrese Haliburton's bequest successful Indiana would beryllium cemented with a title ring.

If the Pacers triumph Game 7, we'll retrieve their rubric arsenic _____.

The biggest upset successful NBA history.

Indiana entered the playoffs arsenic a No. 4 effect successful the Eastern Conference. Its tally done the East was filled with buzzer beaters and thrilling comebacks arsenic the Pacers defied the odds, and they inactive began the Finals facing the longest likelihood of a squad successful 20 years successful the title series.

They volition not beryllium the favorites successful immoderate of the 7 games successful this series, but it each sets Indiana up connected the doorstep of 1 of the astir improbable championships successful league history.

The Pacers don't illustration similar a accustomed title contender, but they've spent the playoffs disproving immoderate conception that they are not. -- Collier

The matchups and adjustments that volition determine the champ

Historic home-court advantage

In 12 playoff games astatine the Paycom Center, the Thunder person a plus-20.6 constituent differential, which is the second-largest borderline of triumph successful home-court playoff past (minimum 5 games played), down the 1995-96 Utah Jazz's plus-20.7.

Oklahoma City's lone playoff losses astatine location were successful Game 1 against Indiana and Game 1 against the Nuggets, and they led successful some of those contests until the last seconds.

The occasional shooting woes that person plagued Oklahoma City successful the playoffs haven't been an contented astatine home. The Thunder person made conscionable 29.9% of their 3-point attempts connected the roadworthy successful the playoffs, vastly underperforming their expected people of 36.5%, according to GeniusIQ. But astatine home, they've made 37.5% of their 3s, a cleanable lucifer for their 37.5% expected 3-point mark.

Other than Jalen Williams, each subordinate of the Thunder rotation has changeable amended from region astatine home. -- Zach Kram

An unfamiliar low-scoring game

Don't expect a batch of points Sunday because, historically, Game 7s successful the Finals person been low-scoring affairs. The past 5 ended 93-89, 95-88, 83-79, 81-74 and 90-84, respectively. Not since 1988, erstwhile the Los Angeles Lakers bushed the Detroit Pistons 108-105, has a squad reached triple digits successful a Finals Game 7.

It's unclear which squad that benignant of crippled volition favour due to the fact that neither has played galore similar it each postseason. The Pacers haven't won a playoff crippled with less than 108 points, but they conscionable turned successful their champion antiaircraft effort of the postseason, allowing lone 91 points successful Game 6.

The Thunder, meanwhile, are conscionable 1-6 successful the playoffs erstwhile they've scored 110 points oregon fewer. But OKC does person 1 low-scoring triumph -- 92-87 successful Game 4 against the Nuggets -- and should beryllium much accustomed to grind-it-out games.

The Thunder person held their opponents beneath 100 points six times successful the playoffs, 5 of them astatine home. But Oklahoma City hasn't done truthful erstwhile against Indiana successful the Finals. -- Kram

The turnover battle

The 2025 playoffs person been defined by turnovers. Overall, teams that perpetrate less turnovers than their opponents person a grounds of 58-21 (.734). Given Oklahoma City led the league successful avoiding turnovers and forced the 2nd astir connected a per-possession basis, the Thunder some drove and benefited from that trend. Against Western Conference opponents, Oklahoma City won the turnover conflict successful 14 of 16 games.

But Indiana has been capable to flip the publication successful the Finals.

After stealing Game 1 contempt 25 giveaways, the Pacers had the turnover borderline successful their Game 3 and Game 6 wins and played the Thunder to a gully successful Game 4. Thursday was the biggest outlier. Oklahoma City's 10-turnover shortage was doubly arsenic large arsenic successful immoderate different playoff game.

— Owen Phillips (@owenlhjphillips) June 21, 2025

McConnell's quality to crook regular efforts to bring the shot up into costly steals has been a cardinal origin successful Indiana doing to the Thunder what Oklahoma City has done to teams each season. Owen Phillips of the F5 Newsletter noted Saturday that the Thunder person committed 10 turnovers successful this bid earlier getting the shot past the 3-point line, arsenic compared to conscionable 1 for the Pacers.

As for the value of location tribunal for Game 7, however, Indiana has averaged 21 turnovers successful 3 games astatine Paycom Center, arsenic compared to 13.7 successful 3 location games. If that divided continues, the Pacers volition look an uphill conflict Sunday. -- Kevin Pelton

MVP contenders

If Oklahoma City manages to triumph Game 7 and assertion the championship, the lone realistic enactment connected the Thunder is an evident one: the league's regular-season MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander (minus-225).

Jalen Williams (plus-1300) has had immoderate large moments successful this series, including his 40-point detonation successful Game 5, but it isn't adjacent capable to earnestly extremity the scales distant from SGA successful the lawsuit OKC is victorious.

Gilgeous-Alexander has the iconic series successful the bid to day with his fourth-quarter closeout successful Game 4, and his stats crossed the committee are superior.

If the Pacers win, however, the contention is wide-open -- and precise apt volition travel down to however Game 7 itself plays out, and who has the biggest impact. The astir apt script is that it will, similar successful the Eastern Conference finals, travel down to a prime betwixt the 2 Indiana stars, Haliburton (plus-1500) and Siakam (plus-300).

Haliburton, playing done a calf strain, has led the squad successful assists and had the game-winning bucket successful Game 1 and a stellar show successful Game 3. Siakam, connected the different hand, is starring the Pacers successful points and rebounds, portion averaging 4 assists and implicit a bargain and a block.

The 1 existent wild-card selection, depending connected however helium plays successful a Pacers victory, is reserve defender McConnell (plus-10,000), who has had a fabulous series. It's improbable helium volition triumph the award, fixed that Siakam and/or Haliburton are each but assured of a large crippled if Indiana wins, but McConnell has had a large interaction passim the bid arsenic the person of the Pacers' 2nd unit. -- Bontemps

More connected MVP odds

History of Game 7

From ESPN Research

This is the 20th Game 7 successful the NBA Finals successful league history
It is the archetypal Game 7 successful the Finals since 2016, erstwhile the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Warriors to implicit the lone 3-1 comeback successful Finals history
Home teams are 15-4 successful Game 7 of the Finals
Each of the past 8 Game 7s successful the NBA Finals person been decided by azygous digits and 15 of the 19 Game 7s successful the NBA Finals person been decided by azygous digits
The mean borderline of triumph successful Game 7 of the NBA Finals is 6.9 points, the smallest borderline among each Finals games

The underdogs:

Since seeding began successful 1984, lone 1 squad seeded 4th oregon little won the NBA title. It was the 1995 Houston Rockets, who were a 6-seed.
The Pacers won 18 less games than the Thunder successful the regular season. That would beryllium the largest upset successful presumption of regular-season wins successful an NBA Finals successful league history.
The Pacers had a PPG differential 10.6 points little than the Thunder. That would beryllium the largest upset successful presumption of PPG differential successful an NBA Finals successful league history.
The Pacers person 10 wins arsenic an underdog this postseason, tied for the astir by immoderate squad successful a azygous postseason successful the past 35 seasons.

Best Bets

Andrew Nembhard implicit 14.5 full points and assists (-120). While Haliburton was capable to play good Thursday, helium is inactive dealing with a calf strain and mightiness beryllium limited. Nembhard took connected a larger relation successful Game 6, notching a series-high 17 points with 4 assists (21 P+A), and I expect him to beryllium called upon again successful Game 7.

Nembhard averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 assists (17.5 P+A) successful the archetypal 2 games of the series, some successful Oklahoma City, and the Pacers volition apt request him to astatine slightest lucifer those numbers successful Game 7. -- Andre Snellings

Jalen Williams implicit 22.5 full points (-125). Williams was successful his scoring container going into Game 6, averaging 31.0 points with astatine slightest 26 successful each of the anterior 3 contests. He got disconnected to a beardown scoring commencement successful Game 6 with 16 points successful the archetypal fractional earlier the squad got blown retired successful the 3rd quarter. I look for Williams to bounce backmost successful Game 7, playing astatine home, and make different high-scoring effort. -- Snellings

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