Here's what happened the last time the Oklahoma Thunder played the NBA finals
The Thunder will face the Indiana Pacers, who overcame a stern challenge from the New York Knicks. It will be either team's first title, and both fan bases want it.
With the Thunder playing their first NBA Finals since 2012, here is a look at the last time they reached that level.
The Oklahoma City Thunder last played the NBA finals in 2012. They were pitted against the Miami Heat and the Big Three. The trio of Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James was hungry for a championship after their failure in the 2011 NBA Finals.
Oklahoma couldn't stand up against the trio, and the team lost in the 2012 Finals 4-1. But it was the best core of players that the franchise had ever produced. They would go on to remain top players in the Western Conference for quite some time.
The Thunder's own big trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden couldn't finish the job. They won the first game in the series convincingly, raising the hopes even more.
Thunder then went on to lose all of the next four games, and the series ended at game 5. This time, OKC face the Indiana Pacers, who themselves haven't won an NBA title in their history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the NBA's MVP and Oklahoma City's best player. Tyrsee Haliburton is an Olympic gold medalist and Indiana's best player. They'll lead their teams into Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night — Indiana at Oklahoma City, the start of a series that will decide who hoists the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
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