OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MARCH 9: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder attempts to drive past Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during the first half at Paycom Center on March 9, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
The Pacers and Thunder NBA Finals gets underway Thursday and the matchup is the best case scenario for the league. At first you might think the NBA wanted to avoid such a small market matchup between the Indianapolis and Oklahoma City. You may also think the league would prefer to showcase LeBron James or Stephen Curry. And maybe the NBA still wishes for big markets and time tested super stars. But they would be wrong in doing so.
The NBA is tired. It has been riding the backs of aging stars for years. But the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder Finals are about to give the league a shot in the arm of true excitement and a strong glimpse of its future.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander is only 26 and he just won the league's MVP award during a remarkable season for the Thunder. He is a scoring machine. He is already a 3 time All-NBA First Team player.
The Pacers are led by 25 year old Tyrese Haliburton. He is a silky smooth scorer and distributor. He can score 30 or, like he did in a game vs the Knicks, he can score 30 and dish 15 assists with zero turnovers. In fact he led the NBA is assists this year.
PACERS AND THUNDER FINALS
With the sports calendar winding down and a long hot summer approaching, we still have a lot of excitement ahead of us. Both of these teams are young and athletic and a lot of fun to watch. No more of the same 'ole, same 'ole with the NBA! Yes, a Pacers and Thunder Finals is exactly what the NBA needs. For the latest NBA Finals talk and analysis, tune in each weekday to Craig Shemon and Company from 2-6 pm on ESPN Southwest Florida.
