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OKC Thunder Enter NBA Finals in Exact Same Spot as LA Lakers Team That Came Up Short

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By JH Kubicek | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 4:58 PM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the entire NBA all season and then cruised through the playoffs, losing only four games. They will meet the Indiana Pacers in the Finals, and both franchises will be looking to win their first NBA championship.

The Thunder are massive favorites, boasting -700 odds to win the series, compared to the Pacers' +500 odds, according to FanDuel.

However, that doesn't mean much heading into the series, as the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers remember.

2004 Lakers Had Exact Same Odds

Only six teams have entered the NBA Finals with a better chance of winning than the 2025 Thunder, and all six of them ended up winning, with only the 2000 Lakers taking more than five games to finish the job.

However, the 2004 Lakers and 1986 Boston Celtics also had -700 odds to win, although the Lakers famously lost to the "Goin' to Work" Detroit Pistons in only five games.

In that series, Ben Wallace was able to contain Shaquille O'Neal, and five Pistons averaged double-digits in the series, compared to only Shaq and Kobe Bryant for the Lakers.

LA boasted Hall of Famers like Shaq, Kobe, Gary Payton, and Karl Malone, but it was no match for the Pistons, who commanded the series from the start.

The Thunder, unlike the Lakers of the past, have a very deep bench and talented defense, although so do the Pacers. Indiana made short work of the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks, and is operating with supreme confidence.

The series will likely be closer than a lot of pundits want to admit.

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

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