The Oklahoma City Thunder are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, and will face another team that’s had an even longer Finals drought — the Indiana Pacers. The Thunder eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday, winning the West for the first time in 13 years. The Pacers, meanwhile, eliminated the New York Knicks in six games to reach the Finals for the first time since 2000.
The Thunder, who won 68 games in the regular season and are now 12-4 in the playoffs, are the heavy favorites to win the title (-750 at Caesars Sportsbook).
The Thunder blew out the Wolves in Wednesday’s Game 5, jumping out to a 17-point lead at the end of the first quarter and never looking back. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will now try to become the first player to win the MVP award and an NBA title in the same season since Stephen Curry pulled off the feat in 2015.
In the East, the Pacers have pulled off several incredible comebacks this postseason alone, including a Game 1 stunner that put the Knicks back on their heels in the conference finals.
The postseason field has now been whittled from 20 teams down to two. The Kings, Mavericks, Bulls and Hawks were ousted in the Play-In Tournament. The Grizzlies, Clippers, Lakers, Rockets, Heat, Bucks, Pistons and Magic lost in the first round, and the Nuggets, Warriors, Cavaliers and Celtics made it to the second round before bowing out. We said goodbye to the Timberwolves and Knicks in the conference finals to get where we are now — the homestretch.