The Oklahoma City Thunder are back on the NBA’s biggest stage—and this time, they’re hoping to make history.
Set to face the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals, the Thunder are looking to cap a record-breaking season with their first-ever NBA championship.
Oklahoma City finished with the best record in the league at 68-14, the most wins in franchise history and good for one of only seven 68-win campaigns in NBA history.
This is the Thunder’s first Finals appearance since 2012, when a young OKC squad led by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden fell to the Miami Heat in five games.
Now, a new era is at the helm—led by newly minted NBA Most Valuable Player and Western Conference Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The All-NBA guard averaged a league-best 32.7 points per game during the regular season and has only elevated his play in the postseason.
SGA’s brilliance has been the bedrock of a deep playoff run that saw OKC sweep Memphis in the first round, outlast Denver in seven games, and dispatch Minnesota in five to win the West.
Alongside Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder rely on rising stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren—both selected in the 2022 NBA Draft—who round out a versatile core built through patience and player development.
The Thunder also benefitted from key veteran additions. Isaiah Hartenstein has solidified their frontcourt, and Alex Caruso brings perimeter defense and championship experience—having won the title with the Lakers in 2020, he’s the only Thunder player with prior Finals exposure.
A title for OKC would not only be the franchise’s first but also a testament to the Thunder’s long-term vision paying off.
But first, they’ll have to get past an Indiana Pacers team on its own fairytale run. For both squads, this marks their first Finals meeting—and a shot at history.
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]
