The 2025 NBA Finals resume tonight with Game 4 in Indianapolis, with the Indiana Pacers just two games away from winning their first-ever title.
They hold a 2-1 series lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder after Wednesday night’s win in Game 3.
Our Game 4 preview and predictions are below. But first, here’s the updated 2025 NBA Playoffs bracket and the story of how we got here.
Updated 2025 NBA Playoff Bracket
Perhaps only the most diehard Pacers fans had Indiana going this far in the playoffs and this close to an NBA Finals series win. But there are two reasons why we should have seen this coming — and why this series could go to seven games.
One, Indiana is 10-0 since mid-March after defeats. And two, the Thunder have responded to every loss during these playoffs with a win. That’s a recipe for a series going the distance.
A big reason why these two teams bounce back is the coaching. Decades separate the Pacers and Thunder head coaches, Mark Daigneault and Rick Carlisle, but they are masters of adjustments. Carlisle has the upper hand in this chess match, but expect Daaigneault to respond in Game 4.
Friday, June 13 – NBA Finals Game 4 Preview
The Thunder need to play tonight like their season is on the line. And it very much may be. The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers are the only team in the history of the NBA to have come back from a 1-3 deficit to win the Finals. If Oklahoma City loses tonight, the odds are simply stacked against them. And they’re not a team that has been tested by adversity this season — until the series with the Denver Nuggets.
That series with Denver went to seven games, with OKC coming out on top. But the Pacers are a unique threat. Their style of play has brought down seemingly superior teams with more star power: the Cavaliers and the New York Knicks.
Bench scoring has been key to the Pacers’ run. And it may be the factor that determines who wins tonight. Both Indiana and Oklahoma City have deep benches. And both are managed by head coaches who excel at microchanges to their lineups mid-game.
Those adjustments are especially key for a Thunder team that looked fatigued in Game 3. The Thunder need to share more of the burden against a Pacers team that plays at full throttle for 48 minutes. Expect Daigneault to play Aaron Wiggins more tonight and go deeper into his bench, giving Isiah Joe more minutes.
Oklahoma City will likely even the series tonight. But this series will probably go to seven games. That would be ironic given that at the start of this series many expected a Thunder sweep.
Game Prediction: Thunder by six.
Series Prediction: Thunder in seven.
Time: 8:30 PM Eastern
Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
TV: ABC
Streaming: ABC and ESPN apps and websites
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