The 2025 NBA Finals are set after the Eastern and Western Conference Finals wrapped up.
The Indiana Pacers will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals, in a matchup nobody saw coming.
The Pacers have demolished their competition in the East, finishing as the four-seed before defeating the Bucks, Cavaliers and Knicks.
The number one seed Thunder swept the Grizzlies, before beating the Nuggets in seven, and then defeating the Timberwolves.
Now let’s take a look back at the last 10 NBA Finals as the Thunder and Pacers look to win their first ever titles.
2024: Boston Celtics defeated Dallas Mavericks (4-1)
The Boston Celtics made it back to the Finals after a 2022 defeat, and ended up making relatively light work out of surprise package the Dallas Mavericks.
The Celtics duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were too strong for Luka Doncic and co. and they had added inspiration from Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis was the x-factor in the series against his former team, playing with a little extra fire to win his first NBA Championship.
2023: Denver Nuggets defeated Miami Heat (4-1)
The Miami Heat became the first ever team to make it through the Play-In Tournament to reach the NBA Finals, led by the heroics of Jimmy Butler.
Butler could not extend his dominance against the Denver Nuggets, who were simply too strong for their opponents.
Michael Malone’s Denver Nuggets were too strong, inspired by the dominance of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, to win the series in five.
2022: Golden State Warriors defeated Boston Celtics (4-2)
The most unlikely of the Golden State Warriors‘ successes, Steve Kerr’s side ran it back to defeat the inexperienced Boston Celtics.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson each added their fourth rings, while Jordan Poole was a surprise package. Boston had led the series 1-0 and 2-1, before the Warriors powered back to win 4-2.
2021: Milwaukee Bucks defeated Phoenix Suns (4-2)
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks landed a matchup against a youthful Phoenix Suns team and took full advantage, winning the series in six.
The Bucks hoped this title would spark the beginning of a dynasty, but a combination of injuries and misfortune have conspired to restrict them from reaching the finals since.
2020: Los Angeles Lakers defeated Miami Heat (4-2)
The Bubble championship saw the LA Lakers win the tournament hosted in Orlando, held without fans in attendance.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis outdueled Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat in six games, to reap immediate dividends on the trade for the former New Orleans Pelicans prospect.
The Lakers have failed to reach the finals since, with Jeanie Buss later admitting the team was broken up too soon.
2019: Toronto Raptors defeated Golden State Warriors (4-2)
Kawhi Leonard inspired the Toronto Raptors to pull off a major shock, ending the long-standing Golden State Warriors dynasty.
Kevin Durant suffered a torn Achilles during the Finals, before an injury to Klay Thompson in the next game.
Fred VanVleet stepped up as one of the heroes for the Raptors, who were unable to keep the team together, with Leonard immediately leaving the following summer.
2018: Golden State Warriors defeated Cleveland Cavaliers (4-0)
This was the series that ended LeBron James’ spell with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Golden State winning a second successive title.
LeBron James gave it everything he could in Game 1, scoring 51 points. But an error from JR Smith cost his team the chance to win, and the Cavaliers never recovered.
2017: Golden State Warriors defeated Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1)
The Warriors bounced back from their defeat in 2016 by adding Kevin Durant, and this added a whole new dimension to the team.
The Cavaliers took one game to avoid a sweep, a fate they were unable to avoid the following year in 2018.
2016: Cleveland Cavaliers defeated Golden State Warriors (4-3)
One of the most spectacular series of all time, the Cleveland Cavaliers came from 3-1 down to defeat the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors had won 73 regular season games, setting records in the process, making their collapse even more unlikely.
A suspension to Draymond Green for Game 6 had a pivotal impact on the series, while Kyrie Irving scored the winning shot to clinch Game 7. LeBron James credits this championship for his hometown team as his greatest achievement.
2015: Golden State Warriors defeated Cleveland Cavaliers (4-2)
The matchup between the Warriors and the Cavaliers was seen as a breath of fresh air in 2015 after two consecutive years of Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs finals.
The Cavaliers’ hopes were impacted by an injury to Kyrie Irving, and the Golden State Warriors took full advantage, with Andre Iguodala named MVP.
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