The Indiana Pacers are due to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. Indiana flew into OKC on Tuesday, though, and experienced a scary situation in the air due to a tornado warning near the airport. Luckily, the team plane was able to land safely.

Initial reports about the Pacers' team plane struggling to land in Oklahoma City due to the tornado warning came around 6:17 p.m. EST. After circling the airport for some time, the plane was forced to land in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to refuel, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

“The Indiana Pacers team plane has landed in Tulsa, a team official told SI,” Mannix reported on X, formerly Twitter. “The Pacers' plane circled the OKC area before landing in Tulsa to refuel. A tornado warning is in effect in Oklahoma City.”

At 8:01 p.m. EST, it was reported that the Pacers finally landed safely in Oklahoma City. The team experienced nearly two hours of waiting to land due to a tornado in the area.

Article Continues Below
More Indiana Pacers News
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks in a press conference during All Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center.
1 salty idea Adam Silver must consider to spice up NBA Cup In-Season TournamentChris Dodson ·
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton
Pacers vs. Thunder NBA Finals Game 1 injury reportJason Patt ·
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton
Thunder fans react to 10-word message before Game 1 vs. PacersJedd Pagaduan ·
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton subtly rips experts over NBA Finals predictionsJedd Pagaduan ·
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) and forward Pascal Siakam (43) celebrate after the win against the Brooklyn Nets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Pacers’ Myles Turner gives Pascal Siakam his flowers before NBA FinalsJackson Stone ·
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) in the fourth quarter during game two of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Why Pacers’ Aaron Nesmith is ready for SGA after Jalen Brunson battleZachary Howell ·

Oklahoma City is centered right in the middle of what's known as “Tornado Alley” in the USA. It's an area that typically sees tornadoes annually from April through June. Early June is considered the peak time of year for tornado season. “Tornado Alley” consists of several states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

With the Pacers safely in Oklahoma City, the team will prepare for Game 1 against the Thunder. Indiana enters the Finals after eliminating the New York Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Indiana's appearance in the championship round is the franchise's first since the 1999-00 season.

Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam have become quite the duo for Indiana. The two Pacers stars led the way throughout the playoffs so far and need to remain at the top of their games to beat out the red-hot Thunder.