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Thunder, Pacers facing history in NBA Finals Game 5
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- Thunder, Pacers facing history in NBA Finals Game 5
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The post Thunder, Pacers facing history in NBA Finals Game 5 appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The 2025 NBA Finals are tied at 2-2 heading back to Oklahoma City , where the Thunder will host Game 5 of the championship round against the Indiana Pacers . While the Pacers had a chance to go up 3-1 in the series, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander willed his Thunder to a Game 4 victory that saw Tyrese Haliburton 's team struggle to score in the final minutes.
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With Game 5 just a day away , there a number of things to look at with regards to NBA history as it pertains to the winner of Game 5's
Thunder, Pacers facing NBA history in Game 5
The Pacers delivered the first punch in this in this series, winning Game 1 on the road by coming back in the final seconds to stun the world. Indiana's first and only lead of Game 1 came for the final 0.3 seconds of the game, when Tyrese Haliburton nailed the game-winning mid-range jumper from the right wing.
Entering this postseason, teams that win Game 1 of the NBA Finals go on to win the series 70.5% of the time (55-23). Additionally, tams that win Game 1 of the NBA Finals on the road go on to win the series 44.4% of the time (8-10).
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Teams that win Game 1 of the NBA Finals more often than not go on to win the series, with an overall 28-13 record since 1984. Eight of the last 11 winners of Game 1 of the NBA Finals went on to win the series.
The Thunder responded in Game 2 by winning 123-107, leading for nearly 46 of the 48 minutes. But having stolen home-court advantage, the Pacers were able to deliver a big Game 3 victory back at home to take a 2-1 series lead.
According to NBA history, teams that win Game 3 of a 1-1 NBA Finals go on to win the series 80.5% of the time (33-8). Additionally, teams that lead the NBA Finals 2-1 go on to win the series 79.4% of the time (50-13).
To no one's surprise, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder delivered a much-needed bounce-back performance in Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2 and regain home-court advantage. Gilgeous-Alexander scored all 15 of his fourth quarter points in the final five minutes, becoming the first player since 1971 to do so in an NBA Finals game.
All this sets the stage up for what could be a decisive Game 5 back in Oklahoma City.
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According to the NBA history books, teams that win Game 5 of a 2-2 NBA Finals go on to win the series 74.2% of the time (23-8). Additionally, teams that lead the NBA Finals 3-2 go on to win the series 81.6% of the time (40-9).
That makes Game 5 of these Finals so incredibly important. The Pacers have made winning on the road this postseason seem easy, with seven of their 14 playoff wins coming on the road.
The Thunder, meanwhile, are hoping their historically dominant season will be capped off by a championship. With home-court advantage back on their side and two raucous fanbases, there's a strong chance these NBA Finals go seven games.
If this series does go seven games, it would be the 20th instance of a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Through the first 19 NBA Finals Game 7's, the home team has a 15-4 record all-time.
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Game 5 will be Monday night at the Paycom Center at 8:30PM EST on ABC.
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Related: Why Thunder's Mark Daigneault is treating Game 4 'like a loss' ahead of Game 5
