The difference on the final scoreboard was one point, and the difference on this first installment of the Finals MVP Ladder is one spot, separating the player who made the shot and the one who missed — Tyrese Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Praised for What He Did Before Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The time has finally come for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. After a lot of anticipation, these two teams will finally kick off the NBA Finals to determine which team will come out as this year's NBA champions.

The matchup in the 2025 NBA Finals shouldn’t be as surprising as it feels at first blush. Doubting the Oklahoma City Thunder was always a fool’s errand. The Thunder won 68 games this year, tied for the sixth-most ever,