2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2)

[Chuck Everett]

I'm not sure why you're confused, genpop dont give a damn about OKC and I don't think it will change a lot even if they win it all. People frown upon SGA with his foul-baiting antics. I mean Thunder made the IST Finals against Bucks this season and the ratings down by 35% in comparison to last year's IST Finals between the Lakers against their Finals opponents now, the Pacers.

I'm confused because the Thunder won the West in 2024, has a young core that could be promoted to increase ratings in the future, is likely going to be in contention for the next 5 years or so, and is accomplishing historic feats. Ratings aren't a result of people not liking the Thunder, they're a result of the NBA doing an awful job of promoting them.

SGA can win 3 of the next 4 MVPs like Jokic and still they won't be marketable the same way Duncan was not. It is what it is just look at it this way, In LeBron's 8 straight Finals run there's 18.18 million average viewers. Starting 2019 up to this Finals, there's only 10.96 million average viewers in 7 years. That's down 40% in TV ratings. This year's Finals series got 8.95 million average viewers, that might be the lowest Finals ratings ever if we don't include the Finals during the peak of global pandemic. NBA need their next LeBron, maybe it's Lakers Luka or Wembanyama even Cooper Flagg has a shot but I don't think it's SGA.

Even if this were true, the Spurs still played Christmas Day games when they were contenders. Heck, they got one just by having Wemby and the team is bad with him. And when the Thunder had KD/WB/Harden they got games too. Them not marketing a title contending Thunder squad makes makes them look incompetent.

[boomershadow]

The NBA finals is about who can win basketball games, not who has the most popular reality TV basketball show.

[Johnny Bball]

I despise that there is no game on tonight.

[GiggitySmalls]

I despise that there is no game on tonight.

makes sunday lame as hell.

[BrianInPhilly]

I despise that there is no game on tonight.

makes sunday lame as hell.

2 straight weekends I believe of no games ... just odd to me

[Chuck Everett]

I despise that there is no game on tonight.

makes sunday lame as hell.

2 straight weekends I believe of no games ... just odd to me

Game 2 was on last Sunday.

[Patches Perry]

Coming to terms with the fact that there are only 2-3 NBA games left until we all have to go outside and do something else.

[Eightnineborn]

The gap between games is ridiculous… they gotta change this ****

[Bloodbather]

No NBA games on father days smh bad move by the NBA and they wanna talk about ratings.

So many days off between. Kills the fan’s momentum for caring.

I get the two day breaks for home court changes. There's travel time.

The only one that didn't make sense was the two day break between Game 1 and Game 2 in OKC.

[jkvonny]

The gap between games is ridiculous… they gotta change this ****

I think the gaps between games in the NBA Finals started spreading out more around 7 yrs ago or so. Somewhere around those GSW/Cavs annual NBA Finals era.

Prior to that, the games were about 2-3 days apart at most, in majority of the NBA Finals.

[Ccwatercraft]

The gap between games is ridiculous… they gotta change this ****

I think the gaps between games in the NBA Finals started spreading out more around 7 yrs ago or so. Somewhere around those GSW/Cavs annual NBA Finals era.

Prior to that, the games were about 2-3 days apart at most, in majority of the NBA Finals.

Normally not a fan of gaps either, but ironically this one worked out well for me, I was able to take a short trip to the Caribbean and back for a party and not miss a game! Flying back this morning

[jkvonny]

The gap between games is ridiculous… they gotta change this ****

I think the gaps between games in the NBA Finals started spreading out more around 7 yrs ago or so. Somewhere around those GSW/Cavs annual NBA Finals era.

Prior to that, the games were about 2-3 days apart at most, in majority of the NBA Finals.

Normally not a fan of gaps either, but ironically this one worked out well for me, I was able to take a short trip to the Caribbean and back for a party and not miss a game! Flying back this morning

Cool!! Sounds like fun, too.

Yes, it kinda works with my schedule as well, so I can't complain.

[NyKnicks1714]

I think having large gaps in between Finals games is great. Finals games used to be Tues/Thurs/Sun until 2016, and the Cavs/Warriors series lasted 17 days when it otherwise would have lasted 14. Three days doesn't sound like a lot but it gave the series this saga type of feel.

[xBulletproof]

So by complete chance I happen to be passing through Oklahoma City tonight. Actually went to Ticketmaster to buy tickets and if your billing address isn't close enough to Oklahoma City It denies your purchase or refunds it.

I guess that's one way to try to ensure it's all OKC fans

[kaansunman]

Normally I would prefer the breaks since it extends the duration of the "basketball" but it felt too long this time after watching basketball every other day in conference finals probably. I kind of lost the will to watch. Maybe it is becuase Knicks lost and I am still mourning...

[Nuntius]

Coming to terms with the fact that there are only 2-3 NBA games left until we all have to go outside and do something else.

The situation isn't as dire if you're interested in national team competitions. EuroBasket, AfroBasket and the FIBA Asia Cup are all on this summer. The men's competitions are all in August while the women's competitions start in July (in the case of the women's AfroBasket and the women's FIBA Asia Cup) and tomorrow in the case of the women's EuroBasket.

Plus, a ton of youth international competitions are also taking place, just like every year.

Personally, I will also try to catch some Indiana Fever games.

[Patches Perry]

Coming to terms with the fact that there are only 2-3 NBA games left until we all have to go outside and do something else.

The situation isn't as dire if you're interested in national team competitions. EuroBasket, AfroBasket and the FIBA Asia Cup are all on this summer. The men's competitions are all in August while the women's competitions start in July (in the case of the women's AfroBasket and the women's FIBA Asia Cup) and tomorrow in the case of the women's EuroBasket.

Plus, a ton of youth international competitions are also taking place, just like every year.

Personally, I will also try to catch some Indiana Fever games.

Yep, WNBA got me through last summer. I'm going to a Fever game in Indiana on the 26th.

[lethalizer]

Coming to terms with the fact that there are only 2-3 NBA games left until we all have to go outside and do something else.

Tbh I'm actually mentally and physically a bit tired from it all. Been a while since we made this deep of a run, and I usually get up at 4 a.m local time to watch the games.

I could use a little break, lol.

[Hoop Hunter]

I get so tired of the talking heads. Mostly SAS and Perk. It almost seems they have something personal against Hali. Haliburton is a superstar one game and then he's a bum the next game, they can't wait for him to fail. I know he has had a few down games in every series, but he has been spectacular for most of the playoffs. He got screwed out of the ECF's MVP, he lead the team in almost every category. Yeh Paskal was good, love him, but Hali was better. 21 points, 10.5 assists, and 6 rebounds only 1.7 TO's in ECF according to StatMuse. Every advanced metric on earth tells you he's the Pacers best player and it's not even close.

Not many if any Pacer fans have called him a "Superstar" he's a great player though, that can not be denied. Everyone's definition of a superstar may be different. There are only 4 or 5 real superstars at the most, IMO. Hali's not gonna just create a shot at anytime and score, like most "superstars". Currently He is going against, stat wise, one of the all-time best teams/defenses. They made Ant "superstar" "the face of the league" look really bad most of that series.

A possible of 3 games left. I can already see the headlines. If Pacers lose, they got lucky to be there. Yes, we've had 3 very improbable wins, but we only lost 4 games total in the first 3 rounds. If the Pacers win, OKC was just too young and inexperienced. Afterwards Hali will either be a bum or a superstar.

It's been a great ride, regardless of the outcome. I'll never forget it, memories to last a lifetime.

[Nuntius]

Coming to terms with the fact that there are only 2-3 NBA games left until we all have to go outside and do something else.

Tbh I'm actually mentally and physically a bit tired from it all. Been a while since we made this deep of a run, and I usually get up at 4 a.m local time to watch the games.

I could use a little break, lol.

Yeah, I feel that. Tonight's game starts at 3:30 am local time. It doesn't end before 6:00 am. I have to leave home for work at 8:00 am. It's going to be no sleep to a 10-11 hour work day. I cannot keep that up for long