Heading into the impending NBA Finals clash between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, fan sentiment is mixed. Some take this as a huge win in the name of parity, as both teams are based on small markets and they tend to rely on developing their own talents to succeed instead of forming a superteam via free agency. However, some aren't pleased that a big-market team, say, the New York Knicks, won't be involved in the biggest stage of the 2025 NBA playoffs.

Regardless, whatever the case may be, fans should expect plenty of good basketball between the Thunder and the Pacers even though they've found success in different ways. Hall of Famer Magic Johnson expressed his excitement over the upcoming series and expects there to be plenty of high-octane action both ways.

“This NBA Championship Series is going to be exciting to watch, especially with Tyrese Haliburton and NBA league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Both teams love to run and fast break, are excellent defensive teams and are well coached!” Johnson wrote on his official account on X.

There are a few similarities between the Thunder and Pacers. Both teams are young and led by two excellent lead guards in Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton. They both like to run at a frenetic pace and have tended to make life difficult for opposing ballhandlers by picking them up the whole length of the floor.

However, the Pacers rely more on chaos and pace than the Thunder do. OKC, a team that's won a total of 80 games thus far this season, puts on the clamps in the halfcourt and have fewer, if any at all, weak spots on defense. Entering the series, the Thunder loom as the heavy favorite, but the Pacers have shown this year that they may have destiny on their side.

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Thunder and Pacers square off in historic NBA Finals series

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket beside Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the first quarter at Paycom Center with Warriors' Stephen Curry and Cavs' Kyrie Irving in the background
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Both the Thunder and Pacers have made the playoffs plenty of times over the past 15 or so years, and they've mounted plenty of deep playoff runs in the past. However, they haven't quite gotten over the hump yet.

But thanks to Paul George, both teams are in the best position to win what would be a historic NBA championship. The Thunder have not won a title since moving to OKC in 2008 (the Seattle SuperSonics' rings should not count in their history), while the Pacers have not won an NBA championship (they won three ABA titles in 1970, 1972, and 1973).