Thunder, Pacers open battle in search of first NBA title

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012. The Indiana Pacers haven’t been to the finals since 2000.Neither has ever won an NBA title, but one will hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2025. The final step there begins Thursday when the teams square off in Game 1 in Oklahoma City.”I haven’t really wrapped my head around the fact that I’m in the finals,” Thunder third-year star Jalen Williams said. “… It’s definitely a blessing that we’re here and I try not to get too caught up in it because we still have a job to do.”The teams are tied together through Paul George. The Pacers’ and Thunder’s trades of George helped chart their path to these finals.First, in July 2017, Indiana traded George to Oklahoma City for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. In February 2022, the Pacers traded Sabonis as part of a package that brought them Tyrese Haliburton — a cornerstone piece to this run.Oklahoma City’s haul from its own George trade has been even more impactful to its current roster. After two All-Star seasons with the Thunder, George asked to be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.Oklahoma City acquired not only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, this season’s NBA leading scorer and Most Valuable Player, but also the draft pick that was used to select Williams.Gilgeous-Alexander has turned into the Thunder’s biggest offensive weapon — he’s averaging 31.6 points in Oklahoma City’s 12 playoff wins — but also their overall tone-setter.”Just has an ‘I’m-gonna-get-it-done’ mentality,” Williams said. “I think it’s rubbed off on the rest of the team.”While the Thunder have seemingly been destined to reach the finals, going 68-14 in the regular season to win the Western Conference going away, Indiana’s path has been much less straightforward.The Pacers were under .500 as late as early January before turning things around and finishing as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.