We have made it. The NBA Conference Finals are set. But we only expected Oklahoma City to be here; the other three teams (New York, Indiana and Minnesota) are surprises in their own right. We break it down below!
New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers
This is the series we all expected, right!?! The general NBA fandom underestimated these two teams coming into the playoffs, but they had good reason to!
Indiana and their star Haliburton started slow this year, throwing everyone off the scent. New York lost every game to Boston and Cleveland in the regular season, failing to show actual contender status.
None of that mattered. What did?
From January on, Indiana became a top-five team in net rating and played like it. A deep, long, physical team shot the lights out and played with incredible effort on both ends, suffocating a Cleveland team whenever they thought they found an answer.
We underestimated them because they started the year slowly. But who cares? When it matters, they come through. We have to remember that next year. Complete opposite from the team they just beat.
New York? They got a break from the Tatum injury but also led 2-1 and had the chance to be up 3-1 before then. We underestimated just how well built they are for the playoffs. Mikal Bridges has explicitly been worth every penny (and draft pick). They are tough. They have stars in their roles.
This is going to be classic.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Before the year, this was a super popular Western Conference Finals pick. By the time the playoffs came around, we wondered about Minnesota.
They were the sixth seed. They employed Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. They had to play LeBron, Luka and the Lakers. Were they cooked?
Nope. Minnesota doubled down on last year and proved they are a playoff powerhouse, led by Edwards. His talent, yes, but also his demeanor and attitude. It’s a perfect fit for Randle, who has the best playoff performance of his career as the co-star. Minnesota is tough. They are nasty. They are going to give OKC hell.
But OKC is so damn good. They are the only team left with an on/off switch. Take Game 7, for example. They go down double digits early to Denver. The arena gets a little quiet. Did they panic?
Absolutely not.
They never do. They know they are always in a game even if they are down 20+. They battle back and fast. By the end of the half, they are up double digits and running away.
OKC has everything. Shai is an incredible scorer, but he has the most straightforward ask of any superstar left because he is supported by a team of defensive superstars who can shoot the hell out of the ball. They are loaded. Minnesota has to play perfectly, or Ant should be superhuman to have a chance. Lucky for them, they are capable.
And Ant is more than capable.
If I had to make a pick…
Thunder vs Knicks will be your 2025 NBA Finals.
Get ready for the flopping thinkpieces.