30 teams entered, but only two remain, with the NBA championship ready to be decided.
On one side, the Oklahoma City Thunder make their return to the big dance for the first time since they lost to the Miami Heat in 2012, but this time led by a different MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
On the other waits the Indiana Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton and his squad once again defeating the New York Knicks to take out the East, a quarter of a century after Reggie Miller did the same.
With neither team having won an NBA title before, history awaits the victor, with a chance to claim true basketball immortality.
NBA Finals Preview: Can Pacers miracle run topple Thunder behemoth?
On paper, the 2025 NBA finals matchup is one of the more unexpected in recent memory - while the Oklahoma City Thunder were many people's pick to contend for a title, the Pacers came into the season with just a 4% chance to even reach the finals.
But the Pacers have shown time and again that they're not concerned with odds, their impossible playoff run punctuated with incredible comebacks in all three East series.
They took down the Milwaukee Bucks and MVP contender Giannis Antetokounmpo, stunned the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers, and saved their most magical moment till last, opening the Eastern Conference Finals with a 14 point comeback in the final 2 minutes and 45 seconds in Madison Square Garden, the first team in 995 attempts to pull it off.
However, while the Pacers have claimed some impressive victims, the Oklahoma City Thunder are another beast entirely, a defensive juggernaut spearheaded by the league's MVP Gilgeous-Alexander, who lost just four playoff games en route to the finals.
Not only this, but they also joined the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, 1996-97 Bulls and 2015-16 Golden State Warriors as the only squads to reach 20 wins BEFORE the NBA finals.
Both teams love to run, both team have rosters that go deep, but only one will end the series by hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy.
Star guards clash: SGA vs Haliburton
These Finals will feature two All-Star guards, both absolutely vital to their team's success but in quite different ways.
SGA is the engine of OKC, the tip of the arrow, the driving force of their offence. He averaged a league-leading 32.7 points per game during the regular season, and is putting up 29.8 in the playoffs - 31.4 during the Western Conference Finals enough to claim the WCF MVP.
Haliburton, however, is a maestro, a puppet master, pulling the strings for a red-hot Pacers offence. The guard averaged 9.2 assists per game during the season, and has put together a number of masterpieces this postseason, including an incredible 32-point, 15-assist, 12-rebound performance with zero turnovers, the first game of its kind in NBA history.
Can Gilgeous-Alexander become the first player since Steph Curry in 2015 to win MVP and the title in the same season, or will Haliburton do what no other Pacer has ever done and bring a title back to the Hoosier State?
X-Factor: Alex Caruso
Apart from the star guard matchup, the Finals will feature many high-level head-to-head battles; how will the rising All-NBA talent Jalen Williams stack up against ECF MVP Pascal Siakam, and can Chet Holmgren hold his own against Myles Turner?
But the player with perhaps the best chance of swinging this series could be Alex Caruso, Oklahoma's defensive dynamo who provides the Thunder an edge, a veteran presence, and of course championship experience.
The two-time NBA All-Defensive team selection has been a revelation for OKC, acquired in a trade with the Chicago Bulls for guard Josh Giddey, and instantly proving to be exactly what they were lacking.
Against a team that rarely turns the ball over, Caruso's ability to cause chaos on defence will be invaluable, and a handy catch-and-shoot three or zone-busting floater will go a long way in helping the Thunder finally win a title.
How to watch the NBA Finals 2025
Each and every game of the 2025 NBA Finals will be shown on ESPN, via Foxtel.
They can also be streamed through Kayo, as well as NBA League Pass.
NBA Finals 2025 odds
The Oklahoma City Thunder will head into the 2025 NBA Finals as the heavy favourites, according to bookmaker Sportsbet.
| OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER | INDIANA PACERS |
| $1.11 | $5.50 |
When does NBA Finals start?
Both the Thunder and the Pacers will have significant time off ahead of the finals, with the title-deciding series not beginning until Friday, June 6.
The opening game will be played in Oklahoma City, at the Paycom Center, tipping off at 10:30 a.m. AEST.
NBA Finals 2025 schedule
| DATE | GAME | TIME (AEST) | LOCATION |
| Fri, June 6 | Game 1 | 10:30 a.m. | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City |
| Mon, June 9 | Game 2 | 10:00 a.m. | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City |
| Thu, June 12 | Game 3 | 10:30 a.m. | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis |
| Sat, June 14 | Game 4 | 10:30 a.m. | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis |
| Tue, June 17 | Game 5* | 10:30 a.m. | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City |
| Fri, June 20 | Game 6* | 10:30 a.m. | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis |
| Mon, June 23 | Game 7* | 10:00 a.m. | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City |