The NBA Finals tipped off on Thursday night, sparking excitement among basketball fans nationwide eager to see two small-market, yet thrilling teams—the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder—battle for the championship.

Commissioner Adam Silver offered hope to cities looking to land an NBA franchise, saying Thursday that the league "should be exploring" expansion. Silver addressed the media in his annual state-of-the-league talk ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the host Oklahoma City Thunder.

Silver also said that he "see the benefit to reducing the number of games" in the regular season when discussing shortening schedules.

Tyrese Haliburton brought the postseason magic once again as the Indiana Pacers stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Tyrese Haliburton is about to tip off the biggest series of his basketball career Thursday night in Oklahoma City. His Indiana Pacers are set to face the Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals. Haliburton, 25,

Watch the Nothing But Net at the NBA Finals live stream from ESPN on Watch ESPN. First streamed on Friday, June 6, 2025.

Oklahoma City Thunder face the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals, starting on Thursday night. The Thunder booked their place in their first national finals since 2012 with a 4-1 series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals.