Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault isn’t surprised the NBA Finals are going the distance.
“It’s a contest of wills,” he explained.
And so far, neither team has backed down.
The battle between the Thunder and the Indiana Pacers has been a tug-of-war from the start. Indiana struck first, Oklahoma City answered. Then Indiana surged ahead again — only for OKC to tie things up once more. After the Thunder pulled ahead in Game 5, the Pacers bounced back in Game 6 to force a winner-take-all finale.
Now, it all comes down to Sunday night.
Tipoff is set for 8:07 p.m. Eastern, with the championship on the line. Through six games — a mix of nail-biters and blowouts — a mutual respect has clearly developed between the two tightly matched squads.
“These are two teams where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts,” Daigneault said. “Both are highly competitive. Both play unselfishly and rely on shared principles to succeed. It’s no surprise it’s gone this far.”
This will mark the 20th Game 7 in NBA Finals history. Historically, home teams have the edge, winning 15 of the previous 19 times. Indiana is aiming to capture its first NBA championship. Oklahoma City also seeks its first title under its current identity, though the franchise claimed a championship back in 1979 when it was known as the Seattle SuperSonics.
No matter who wins, history will be made. The victor will become the seventh different team to win an NBA title over the past seven seasons — an unprecedented stretch of parity in the league.
Several players involved have prior Finals experience. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam lifted the trophy with Toronto in 2019. Thunder guard Alex Caruso was a champion with the Lakers in the 2020 bubble. Then came Milwaukee in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Denver (featuring current Pacers forward Thomas Bryant) in 2023, and Boston last season.
Once the final buzzer sounds on Sunday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will present the Larry O’Brien Trophy to a new champion. It will mark the ninth different franchise to win a title during Silver’s 12-year tenure — a notable contrast to the eight franchises that won during David Stern’s 30 years as commissioner.
“You never know how it’s going to unfold,” said Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. “I’d be lying if I said this has gone exactly how I thought it would. Every playoff series has its own rhythm. Every game has its own story. Different players rise to the moment. Unpredictable things happen. But now, none of that matters. It’s one game, one shot at glory. And we can’t wait.”
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