NBA Finals: Game 1 of Thunder-Pacers set to happen in Oklahoma City
Jun 5, 2025, 6:35 AM | Updated: 9:00 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault speaks on the court after a news conference, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Indiana Pacers in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Nate Billings)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Winning Game 1 of the NBA Finals does not guarantee anything.
The 79th title series in league history — it has been called different names over the years — starts Thursday night, when the Oklahoma City Thunder play host to the Indiana Pacers.
And the winner of Game 1 will obviously leave the floor feeling good about themselves. But in the past 78 years, only 55 Game 1 winners have gone on to eventually win the title — or just about 71%.
If the winner is the Thunder, it’s a really good sign. Teams that win Game 1 at home have ultimately prevailed 78% of the time (47 out of 60). If the Pacers win, their odds of winning the title improve dramatically but they probably still wouldn’t be called favorites. Teams that win Game 1 on the road only end up winning the series 44% of the time (8 out of 18).
But it should be noted as well that the last time the Thunder were in the NBA Finals, they had the home-court advantage over the Miami Heat. Oklahoma City won Game 1 of that series at home — then lost the next four games, and LeBron James won the first of four NBA championships for the league’s all-time scoring king.
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