NBA Finals
The Athletic has live coverage of Pacers vs. Thunder Game 1 from the 2025 NBA Finals.
As an exasperated league continues its never-ending quest to stamp out tanking, here come the Indiana Pacers rising from the debris of mediocrity, right on cue.
There is a long-held belief in the NBA that the worst place to be is stuck in the middle. Never bad enough to be in position to draft top talent, but never quite good enough to compete for championships. It’s the 405 in Los Angeles and it’s rush hour.
The NBA has increased its efforts in recent years to abolish tanking. It can use the Pacers as proof it’s possible to win big without it. Indiana is returning to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years after plenty of seasons spent stuck in the middle, but it has never once entered a season trying to lose.
