NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
Welcome to Media Day at the NBA Finals!
Tune in to the NBA App and NBA TV for live coverage of the matchup between the Thunder and Pacers, starting at 1:30 PM ET, with Sixers guard Jared McCain reporting as this year’s inaugural player correspondent.
**FIVE HEADLINES IN TODAY’S ISSUE 🏀**
June 4, 2025
1. **Parallel Journeys**: Exploring how Haliburton and Shai have both navigated their paths to the top of the sport.
2. **Top Teams of 2025**: Since January, the Thunder and Pacers have established themselves as the NBA’s best.
3. **Stepping into the Spotlight**: A new wave of talent makes its presence felt on the Finals stage.
4. **Turner’s Triumph**: The longest-serving Pacer reaches the Finals for the first time in his career.
5. **A Historic Clash**: Reflecting on one of the most remarkable Finals games, remembered 39 years later.
**BUT FIRST… ⏰**
Just one day away…
Game 1 of the NBA Finals, presented by YouTube TV, will kick off on Thursday at 8:30 PM ET on ABC, as the Thunder take on the Pacers at the vibrant Paycom Center—hosting its first Finals game in over a decade.
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### 1. HALIBURTON AND SHAI: SIMILAR TRAJECTORIES TO THE FINALS
They perceive the game from unique angles. Their movements are distinct. Their leadership styles differ.
Nonetheless, Tyrese Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have both propelled their teams—and their personal performances—to the grandest stage in basketball.
While their playing styles may vary, their routes to reaching the Finals are strikingly alike.
After both were traded to superstars before turning 22, these guards made names for themselves, evolving into franchise cornerstones as their teams restructured and soared.
**SGA’s Journey**: Over six seasons, Shai emerged as OKC’s clear leader—a formidable scorer who blends composure with explosiveness, steering a youthful core that has matured into a powerhouse.
**The Moment of Awakening**: This season, Shai secured both the scoring title and the Kia NBA MVP, driving OKC to a franchise-high 68 wins and their first Finals appearance since 2012.
**Pacers’ Evolution**: Following his trade to Indiana, Haliburton transformed into an elite playmaker, injecting creativity and control into the team’s dynamic offense.
**Coming Full Circle**: In the 2021-22 season, Indy finished 25-57 while OKC recorded 24-58, marking only the second time in NBA history that both Finals teams had fewer than 25 wins three years earlier.
Now, both stars are just four wins shy of bringing home a first-ever NBA championship to their cities.
But only one team will celebrate with a parade.
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### 2. BATTLE OF 2025’S ELITE TEAMS
“This is my year!”
“New year, new beginnings!”
Each year, these statements circulate like LeBron’s pregame chalk, as people worldwide seek a fresh start with the new calendar year.
While most resolutions fade within days or weeks, the Pacers have consistently excelled for five months and aim to extend that streak to six.
Indiana’s impressive 46-18 record (.719) ranks second only to Oklahoma City, who boast a phenomenal 53-13 record (.803) since the start of 2025.
“Same team, renewed goals!”
While Indiana sought a boost in the new year, Oklahoma City ended 2024 with momentum and aimed to carry that energy into 2025.
**The Keys to Success**: OKC’s ongoing success throughout the 2024-25 season stems from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s efficient offensive leadership and a shared commitment to tenacious defense.
Both teams have thrived during the late 2024-25 stretch; which team will finish strong over the next fortnight?
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### 3. A NEW WAVE TAKES CENTER STAGE AT THE FINALS
Both the Thunder and Pacers constructed their rosters similarly—acquiring promising young point guards that blossomed into superstars, complementing them with draft talent and strategic veteran signings to enhance their championship aspirations.
Connections run deeper, with five players debuting on the same night, and four hailing from the same nation.
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### 4. TURNER’S MOMENT: A FINALS JOURNEY TEN YEARS IN THE MAKING
When the Pacers secured the Eastern Conference title, marking their return to the NBA Finals after 25 years, the honor of lifting the Bob Cousy Trophy went to Myles Turner, the franchise’s longest-serving player.
Turner has faced nine years of challenges and disappointments.
The Pacers qualified for the playoffs in each of his first five seasons but failed to advance past the first round. The subsequent three seasons saw them miss the playoffs entirely.
Even after Indiana was swept by Boston in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, Turner was determined to remain in Indiana.
So, when the final whistle blew on Saturday to send his team to the Finals for the first time since 2000, it held profound significance for him.
In January 2023, he signed a two-year extension after Indiana ended the 2021-22 season in 13th place in the East, finishing 11th that year.
That choice to avoid free agency marked a pivotal juncture in his career.
The midseason acquisition of Tyrese Haliburton during Carlisle’s inaugural year catalyzed Turner’s transformation.
The veteran knew something special was brewing within the team long before they sealed their Finals trip.
“We were in Nashville two years ago, playing pickup… witnessing the commitment, everyone showed up,” Turner remarked. “That was a first for me. That’s when I knew.”
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### 5. MEMORABLE: 39 YEARS LATER, REVISITING A CLASSIC FINALS GAME
Many who witnessed that night at Boston Garden deemed it the greatest game ever played.
On air, Rick Barry described it as “the most thrilling basketball contest I’ve ever experienced.”
On June 4, 1976, Game 5 of the NBA Finals showcased an unforgettable triple-overtime spectacle between the Celtics and the Suns, with the series tied at 2-2. Neither team yielded, and the ensuing chaos would go down in history, resulting in one of the longest games in Finals history.
Boston captured the title just two days later, but for many, the series reached its zenith that night. Here’s the narrative from that year’s Finals MVP, Jojo White:
“It feels like it happened yesterday… It was the longest game I’ve ever participated in. The most grueling experience… At the end of regulation, we mistakenly thought the game was over and headed back to the locker room. I began removing my tape since we believed it was finished. Then, we were informed that there were still three seconds remaining on the clock.
“Our mindset quickly changed: ‘What could transpire in three seconds?’ We returned to the court to play defense for those final seconds, but the game didn’t conclude there—it extended to three more overtimes.
“With each passing overtime, I kept informing the doctor of cramps in my legs… He urged me, ‘You have two minutes left, Jojo—just hold on.’ Then, we’d find ourselves heading into yet another overtime.
“By the time I finally sat down on the floor, I could tell we had a firm grip on the game. It was a relief to take a breather.”
White’s moment sitting on the parquet became an iconic image—a weary Finals MVP representing a triumphant Celtics team that celebrated its 13th NBA championship.
