The 2025 NBA conference finals have come to an end. The Oklahoma City Thunder closed out the Western Conference finals Wednesday before the Indiana Pacers knocked out the New York Knicks on Saturday night to advance to the Finals.
The No. 1 seed Thunder took a commanding 2-0 lead in the West finals against the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves before getting blown out in Game 3 at Target Center. But the Thunder bounced back to take Game 4 in a back-and-forth battle before winning the series in Game 5 in dominant fashion Wednesday.
In the East, the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers took a 2-0 lead against the 3-seed New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. But the Knicks rallied on the Pacers’ home court in Game 3 after a fourth-quarter surge from Karl-Anthony Towns. The Pacers responded by taking Game 4 at home, and the Knicks handily defeated Indiana in Game 5. The Pacers ultimately defended their home court in Game 6 to advance to their first NBA Finals since 2000.
Our NBA insiders break down their biggest takeaways from the matchups and what to watch going forward.
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Eastern Conference
Game 6: Pacers 125, Knicks 108
For each of the past two seasons, the Indiana Pacers have been seen as a fun, up-and-coming underdog in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They were a team to monitor, and one that could ascend in the future — even after last year’s surprise run to the conference finals against the Boston Celtics.
Well, it turns out, that ascent is complete, and in far quicker fashion than anyone — except for, possibly, the Pacers themselves — could’ve imagined.
With Saturday night’s 125-108 triumph over the New York Knicks — historically this franchise’s oldest and most bitter rival — in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals in front of a raucous sellout crowd inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Pacers punched their ticket to the NBA FInals for the first time since beating the same foe to get there 25 years ago.
At the start of last year’s playoffs, accomplishing such a feat couldn’t have been further from anyone’s minds. Indiana had just snapped a three-year playoff drought after not winning a single playoff series in over a decade, and entered as a significant underdog against the Milwaukee Bucks. But Giannis Antetokounmpo never played in that series, Damian Lillard was hurt by the end of it, and the Pacers advanced.
Then came a series against the New York Knicks that, while Indiana won it in seven games, saw New York missing four of its five starters by the end of the first quarter of Game 7. As a result, excuses were made, and holes were poked in the Pacers’ accomplishments.
A four-game sweep at the hands of the eventual champion Celtics — despite several close games and star Tyrese Haliburton exiting the series early with an injury — didn’t change that view.
But this season? Everything is different. Indiana easily dismissed Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the first round, including the first of many remarkable comebacks in these playoffs to close the series out in Game 5. Then came the five-game demolition of the 64-win, No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, which featured eviscerations in Games 4 and 5 that left no doubt about which team deserved to advance.
And then, finally, came this slugfest of a series with their forever rivals, the Knicks. Indiana stole the first two games at Madison Square Garden — including another truly ridiculous comeback in Game 1 — before eventually closing the series out in front of their home fans in Game 6.
The Pacers, like did they for most of the series, dominated in transition in Game 6. And that, coupled with their latest tremendous 3-point shooting game in these playoffs, allowed them to dismiss New York from the playoffs for a second year in a row, a fourth time in a row, and a sixth time overall in their nine [postseason meetings since 1993.
For coach Rick Carlisle, it’s the culmination of a vision that began when he came to Indianapolis from Dallas in 2021, and especially after he finally landed Haliburton — a player he’d been interested in since the 2020 draft — in a trade in 2022. For Haliburton, it was the latest marker of the 25-year-old’s arrival as one of the faces of the next generation of the NBA. And for Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard and the front office, it was proof that a vision built around Haliburton’s unique gifts could produce both highly entertaining — and winning — basketball.
There’s obviously still plenty of work to be done. Anyone who has seen the Oklahoma City Thunder play knows beating them will be no easy task. Still, for the Pacers, this is a moment to savor, and to revel in the stunning accomplishment this team has achieved in seemingly the blink of an eye. Indiana is back atop the East. And, with a team led by one of the league’s brightest young stars, it could be here to stay for awhile. — Tim Bontemps
Biggest takeaways for the Pacers:
Haliburton vowed to be more aggressive in Game 6, and although he didn’t rack up any gaudy point totals, he was back as the initiator while driving the Pacers offense to get out and run.
Indiana’s fast-paced tempo will be it’s strength as it heads to a Finals matchup against Oklahoma City’s juggernaut defense, and Haliburton will have to make the Pacers go. In Game 6, Haliburton put up 21 points, 13 assists with three steals, his hit-ahead passes helping lead the Pacers to 38 points in transition, the most by a team in a game this postseason, per ESPN tracking.
Meanwhile, Pascal Siakam continued to be Indiana’s most consistent offensive player in the series, putting up another 26 points. The Pacers bounced back from their worst showing of the playoffs, nearly matching their Game 5 total (94) with 92 points through three quarters. — Jamal Collier
Biggest takeaways for the Knicks:
Judging by the way the Knicks approached Game 5 — staging their defensive rotations with force and precision, and taking care of the ball to ensure the speedy Pacers couldn’t turn their turnovers into easy points — the thought crept into mind just enough: Perhaps New York could do this, after all. A win in enemy territory during Game 6 would mean that things were heading back to Madison Square Garden for a Game 7 — one that would be pressure packed for the visiting Pacers, who would have let a 3-1 lead slip.
But, the third quarter of Game 6, in which the Knicks coughed up the basketball countless times, obliterated any and every possibility of there being a Game 7. New York’s hopes of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in a quarter century officially came to a close.
In the clinching loss, the Knicks had 18 crucial turnovers that the Pacers cashed in for 34 points. Indiana had 25 fast-break points to New York’s 10, with the Pacers often sprinting down the floor to score within three or four seconds of a made basket on the other end.
New York simply wasn’t disciplined enough when it mattered most to beat a Pacer club that doesn’t make many mistakes; particularly at home. And now the Knicks will have all offseason to think about how close they got. — Chris Herring
Finals Game 1: Pacers at Thunder (June 5, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
What to watch:
Indiana turned in its worst offensive performance of the postseason in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, scoring just 94 points in a blowout loss. That was an aberration for the team that ranks second in offensive rating in the playoffs.
But the Pacers returned to form in Game 6, bursting for TK points and making 52% of their 3-point tries — and they’d better hope they can stay there over the next couple weeks. The Thunder will be heavily favored to win this unexpected Finals matchup, and Indiana’s only chance is to maintain its torrid offensive pace.
In theory, the Pacers have a couple advantages against the best defense in the league. Led by Haliburton, who is extraordinarily secure with the ball, Indiana has the third-lowest turnover rate in both the regular season and playoffs, which should help the Pacers limit Oklahoma City’s lucrative turnover game. Indiana also leads all playoff teams in 3-point percentage (40%), which could burn a Thunder defense that allows a high 3-point rate. Role players like Aaron Nesmith (50% on 3s in the playoffs), Andrew Nembhard (48%) and Myles Turner (40%) should get plenty of long-range looks against Oklahoma City, and they’ve all been on fire for weeks.
But make no mistake: Oklahoma City’s defense presents a much fiercer challenge than anything Indiana has faced to reach this point. After attacking undersized guards like Darius Garland and Brunson to get to the Finals, Indiana will have no easy targets in the Finals. And the Thunder have the deepest set of top-tier defensive guards in the league, which sets the stage for a showdown against Haliburton.
Haliburton and his teammates have exceeded all expectations in the playoffs thus far. Do they have one more surprise in them? — Zach Kram
Western Conference
Game 5: Thunder 124, Timberwolves 94
When the Thunder made the NBA Finals for the first time in 2012, it was safe to assume it would be the start of a run. Then James Harden had a contract dispute and was traded. Then Kevin Durant hurt his right foot, and Russell Westbrook hurt his right knee.
It’s been 13 years, with plenty of heartache as stars left and a full-scale rebuild.
On Wednesday, Oklahoma City took nothing for granted as the youngest team in the NBA celebrated winning its first trophy as a group. The team will want so much more heading into the Finals but also understand the moment.
“Nothing is promised,” a vanquished Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “When you’re in the moment you’ve got to go for it. They’re positioned to go for it right now.”
The right now is important. Indeed, the Thunder feel like they have a runway. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has gotten two MVP trophies in the past week, noted the youth in the team’s core. But Finch’s words are meaningful, too.
The Thunder approached this series with urgency. They approached the season with urgency. The way they will approach the Finals — with 80 wins in 98 games this year — is a certainty. — Brian Windhorst
Biggest takeaways for the Thunder:
Behold the power of the Thunder at their best.
It would be difficult to be more dominant than Oklahoma City was during the first half. As usual, it started with a swarming, smothering effort on the defensive end. The Cancun weather will feel nice and cool after what the Thunder put the Timberwolves through while building a 33-point lead, forcing 14 turnovers while holding Minnesota to 12-of-38 shooting.
The Thunder’s trio of stars all scored in double digits by the break. Gilgeous-Alexander (20 points, five assists) accounted for 32 points in the first half, matching the Timberwolves’ total. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren each added 15 points.
The second half was simply a stage setter for the Western Conference finals trophy presentation.
It won’t be the last trophy the Thunder hoist this season if they can play at this level during the Finals. — Tim MacMahon
Biggest takeaways for the Timberwolves:
Minnesota was in this same spot a year ago — trailing 3-1 in the Western Conference finals heading into Game 5 — and the game was over before it started, with the Dallas Mavericks leading 35-19 after the first quarter.
Wednesday was somehow worse.
The Wolves trailed 26-9 heading into the second quarter in Oklahoma City — it was the fewest points in any postseason quarter in franchise history. Anthony Edwards scored six; the rest of the Minnesota roster combined to muster just three more on 1-for-15 shooting.
Even though Minnesota did fight back from down 25 points to beat OKC in overtime during the regular season, this one was over by halftime. The Wolves were down 65-32 at the break, with more turnovers (14 — the most in any half this year, regular season and playoffs included) than made field goals (12). When the Thunder pushed their lead to 37 in the second quarter, it was the largest deficit the Wolves faced all season, edging the 36-point hole they found themselves in against the New York Knicks in December.
It was a bitter end to a Cinderella run for Minnesota, one of the hottest teams in the league for months, which made it as far as it did as the No. 6 seed in the ultra-competitive West. From March 2 through the start of the conference finals, Minnesota went 25-6. Then, in five games against the Thunder, the Wolves lost four of them, including three at Paycom Center by a combined 71 points.
If the Thunder are going to be the team Minnesota has to get through to win the West for years to come — and it certainly appears that way — the Wolves have their work cut out for them.
Their young tandem of Edwards and Jaden McDaniels was a level below the Thunder’s Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams in this series. And with contract decisions to be made on Julius Randle, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker this summer, their effectiveness — or lack thereof — against Oklahoma City has to be considered. — Dave McMenamin
Finals Game 1: Pacers at Thunder (June 5, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
What to watch:
Regardless of whether the Indiana Pacers finish off the Eastern Conference finals or the New York Knicks complete a comeback from down 3-1 in the series, Oklahoma City will enter the Finals with home-court advantage and as the overwhelming favorite.
The Thunder won 17 more games than the Knicks and 18 more than the Pacers, and while that’s not definitive — both East teams have taken down 60-win teams in the conference semifinals, and the 50-win Denver Nuggets gave Oklahoma City its toughest test to date — that’s a huge head start.
The Thunder swept both East finalists 2-0 in the regular season and will have the rest edge because their series started a day earlier. If New York can extend the series, all the better for Oklahoma City, which didn’t have to push hard in the conference finals because of repeated blowouts (including the Timberwolves’ lone win).
Gilgeous-Alexander was the only Thunder player to average more than 34 minutes against Minnesota. By contrast, three Pacers and five Knicks have topped that mark thus far in an East series filled with close games, including overtime in Game 1.
Lastly, there’s the history at stake for Oklahoma City, seeking its first title since the franchise moved from Seattle in 2008. Gilgeous-Alexander could become the first MVP to win the title since Stephen Curry for the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors. No player has won MVP of both the regular season and the Finals since LeBron James went back-to-back with the Miami Heat in 2011-12 and 2012-13. — Kevin Pelton
