On Thursday evening, the Larry O. Brien Trophy will be prepared for presentation. The Oklahoma City Thunder will be the NBA champions if they win one more game.
The Indiana Pacers, who will have home-court advantage in their attempt to force a winner-take-all Game 7, are in their way.
Tyrese Haliburton, a guard with the Pacers, may not be able to play against the Thunder on Thursday. He claims he wants to play despite having an injured right calf.
The Thunder took a 3-2 lead in the championship matchup after defeating the Pacers 120-109 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night. The Thunder were led by 40 points from Jalen Williams and 31 from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
NBA Finals news for Wednesday
The state of Haliburton is a major source of worry.
Preview of Game 6
TJ McConnell is prepared for everything that comes up.
Prior noteworthy stories
Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander embarked on a record scoring rampage.
In the NBA Finals, relaxation is a beautiful luxury.
Haliburton continues to play despite a leg injury.
Rick Carlisle promotes the Women’s NBA
Referee Scott Foster is defended by Rick Carlisle.
The part that Jalen Williams plays for the Thunder
The bonds that hold: Pacers more than neighbors, fever
The path is the challenge for Thunder.
Robin Alex Caruso of Oklahoma City
The record for most points in a season is broken by the Thunder.
During the finals, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle used his platform.
Shai Gilgeous doesn’t have a huge moment yet.-Alexander
Don Nelson delivers a Luka Doncic remark after receiving the Chuck Daly Award.
These finals have Canadian intrigue.
Mr. Clutch is Tyrese Haliburton.
Everyone must go to the memorial at OKC.
The Comeback Playoffs are here.
Commissioner Adam Silver discusses growth, parity, and other topics.
Important information for these NBA Finals
The protracted and convoluted path for Rick Carlisle
Players compete for the trophy. The referee for the jacket is
Ashley Kerr is a multiple title winner. She is the wife of Mark Daigneault.
It’s possible that the ratings are low. There are 76 billion reasons for the NBA to be optimistic.
The message is clear in Seattle: Pacers, go!
History of June 19
The trophy will be given out on June 19 for the third time if the NBA Finals conclude on Thursday.
The Pacers also don’t want to see the same thing happen again.
In 2016, Cleveland defeated Golden State in Game 7 to complete the comeback from a 3-1 series deficit, marking the last time June 19 was used as the last day of an NBA season.
The first and only other occasion on which June 19 was used to win the championship? In Game 6, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Pacers in 2000. Indiana will play Game 6 at home, while the Pacers traveled for that one.
Going forward
Oklahoma City’s 83rd victory of the season (68 regular season, 15 playoffs) came in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Neither Golden State’s record 88 victories in 2015–16 nor Chicago’s 87 victories in 1995–96 will be surpassed by the Thunder.
However, the Thunder might tie the Bulls of 1996–97 for third place all-time in terms of season wins.
Here is where the Thunder stand on the list of all-time victories:
Golden State, 2015–16, 88 victories
Chicago, 1995-96, 87 wins
Chicago, 1996-97, 84 victories
83 victories Oklahoma City, 2024–2025; Golden State, 2016–17.
odds for betting
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, Oklahoma City (-3000) is currently the overwhelming favorite to win the NBA championship. After losing Game 5, Indiana’s odds are now +1250, and they have gone even longer in the two days that have followed.
In Game 6, the Thunder are up to 6.5 points ahead of Indiana. It was 4.5 points just after Game 5 and probably changed as a result of Tyrese Haliburton’s status being unknown.
Thirteen of the Pacers’ twenty-one postseason games have been covered. To date, the Thunder, who are the favorites in every game, have covered 10 of 21 times.
Schedule for the NBA Finals
ABC will broadcast every NBA Finals game.
Game 1: Indiana 111, Oklahoma City 110, June 5
June 8: Game 2: Indiana 107, Oklahoma City 123
June 11: Game 3: Oklahoma City 107, Indiana 116
June 13: Game 4: Indiana 104, Oklahoma City 111
Game 5: Oklahoma City 120, Indiana 109 on Monday
Oklahoma City against. Indiana, Game 6, Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
If needed, Game 7 between Indiana and Oklahoma City is scheduled for Sunday at 8 p.m. EDT
Two games, at least six
Both the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final went at least six games for the first time since 2022.
Game 6 in the NBA Finals is Thursday. The Florida Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup on Tuesday night, finishing off a six-game series with the Edmonton Oilers.
A close finals, geographically
The 688 miles by air between Oklahoma City and Indiana by road, it is a bit longer represents the shortest distance between finals cities in 69 years. That doesn t count the pandemic bubble season, when the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat were in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, for the entirety of the 2020 finals.
The last time a between-cities finals trip was this short was 1956, with only 530 miles separating Fort Wayne and Philadelphia.
Other short finals trips, in air miles: Syracuse to Fort Wayne (489 miles, 1955), Rochester to New York (253 miles, 1951) and Baltimore to Philadelphia (90 miles, 1948).
The longest distance between finals cities was Boston to San Francisco for the 2022 finals; those cities are 2,704 miles apart by air. That s just about 10 miles longer than Boston to Oakland, and about 100 miles longer than Boston to Los Angeles.
Under the current league format, the shortest possible distance between finals cities would be the 297 miles that separates Minnesota and Milwaukee. That s just a bit shorter than Memphis-Atlanta (331) and Minnesota-Chicago (334).
Key upcoming events
June 25 NBA draft, first round.
June 26 NBA draft, second round.
SGA is the MVP
A recap of Oklahoma City s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander s winning of the NBA MVP award.
The story: Gilgeous-Alexander tops Jokic for MVP award
The reaction: SGA tears up when talking about his wife
Steve Nash speaks: Canada s 1st MVP thrilled to see SGA follow him
The notebook: Jokic finishes top-2 again, Giannis streak ends, LeBron gets votes
Stats of the day
Game 6 will be Indiana s 51st and final home game of the season, tying for the second-most in franchise history. The Pacers played 53 in 1999-2000 and 51 in 2013-14.
A Thunder win in Game 6 would give Oklahoma City 38 road wins this season, factoring both regular-season and playoff games. That would tie the NBA record. Chicago in 1995-96, Golden State in 2015-16 and Golden State in 2016-17 all were 38-game road winners in a season.
Road teams have won 36 games in these playoffs. The record is 39 in 2014. Road teams won 37 games in 2005 and 2021, which ties for the second-highest total. (None of that includes the 2020 bubble playoffs, when road teams won 43 games when everything was held at Lake Buena Vista, Florida.)
Quote of the day
It s the first team to four. Until you have four wins, you re not the better team, you re not the champion, you don t get to win. Thunder guard Alex Caruso.
