Sam Anderson, a staff writer for The Times Magazine, first wrote about the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012. He is the author of “Boom Town” (2018), a book about the team and the city it calls home.

Although the NBA season started with 14 teams, Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder are the last two teams standing as they face off in a highly anticipated 2025 NBA Finals series. It would be a significant achievement for any team that wins the finals since both sides are yet to do so.

The stage for the first game of the NBA Finals is set. League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder will play against Tyrese Haliburton’s No. 4 Indiana Pacers at Oklahoma Paycom Center on Thursday (June 5).