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Magic Johnson Sends Clear Indiana Pacers Message on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gautam Varier | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 3:51 PM ET

The Indiana Pacers have made it to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years, and few would have seen this coming before the playoffs began. The 50-32 Pacers were the fourth seed in the East and weren't expected to make much noise in the postseason.

The Pacers first dispatched the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the first round to set up a clash with the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. The 64-18 Cavaliers were heavy favorites in that series, but were shockingly knocked out in five games.

That left the New York Knicks as the only obstacle between the Pacers and a long-awaited finals appearance, and they won in six games in the Eastern Conference finals. It's been a remarkable run, and NBA icon Magic Johnson had a message for the Pacers' opponents in the NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder enter the NBA Finals as overwhelming favorites. They secured home-court advantage throughout the playoffs thanks to a league-best 68-14 record and made light work of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals.

For all the good work the Thunder have done, though, Johnson said he believes they should be worried, considering the Pacers are 6-2 on the road in these playoffs.

"The Oklahoma City Thunder should be worried about Indiana because the Pacers have been a great road team in this year’s Playoffs," Johnson wrote on X. "Throughout the Playoffs, they beat the Bucks in Milwaukee once at home in the first round, the #1 seeded Cavaliers three times in Cleveland in the second round, and then beat the Knicks twice in New York during the Eastern Conference Finals."

The Oklahoma City Thunder should be worried about Indiana because the Pacers have been a great road team in this year’s Playoffs. Throughout the Playoffs they beat the Bucks in Milwaukee once at home in the first round, the #1 seeded Cavaliers three times in Cleveland in the…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 4, 2025

The Pacers won the first two games on the road against the Cavaliers and the Knicks. That put them in the driver's seat in both of those series, and they'd be looking to repeat that feat in the NBA Finals. Game 1 will take place at the Paycom Center iin Oklahoma City on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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