The Pacers enter the championship series as the underdogs on the road, a place they have thrived thus far in the playoffs. They defeated the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals series, 4-1, and the No. 3 New York Knicks in the Conference finals, 4-2.

Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers congratulated by Aaron Nesmith #23 after scoring a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter in Game One of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 05, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Getty Images

Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle Shares 'Sad' News Before NBA Finals Game 1 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. While Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is locked in on defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals, he's also keeping a pulse on what's happening around the league.