The Pacers enter the championship series as the underdogs on the road, a place they have thrived thus far in the playoffs. They defeated the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals series, 4-1, and the No. 3 New York Knicks in the Conference finals, 4-2.

Pacers Make History With NBA Finals Game 1 Win Against Thunder originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder faced off on Thursday night for the opening game of the 2025 NBA Finals.

The Indiana Pacers are going to be without forward Jarace Walker for at least the first two games of the 2025 NBA Finals, coach Rick Carlisle said Monday, three days ahead of the team's Game 1 showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder.