Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the fourth quarter in game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals Game 1 Set Incredible Record

Originally posted on Indianapolis Pacers on SI
By Nelson Espinal | Last updated Jun 7, 2025 4:01 PM ET

The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder set several records after Game 1 of the NBA Finals, shredding the narrative that this series would have extremely low viewership.

Indiana and Oklahoma City are two of the smallest media markets in the league. While the fans are passionate and loyal to the team through good and bad times, these cities receive low coverage on a national scale.

Instead, teams like the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers tend to bring in the most commercial revenue and market value due to their size and history.

A recent announcement by the NBA, however, proves that the smaller markets still managed to bring national intrigue.

"Indiana’s Game 1 victory over Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals on ABC peaked with 11 million viewers at the end of the 4th quarter when Tyrese Haliburton hit the game-winning shot," the NBA said in a statement.

"Game 1 generated more than 500 million views on social media - an all-time record."

Indiana’s Game 1 victory over Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals on ABC peaked with 11 million viewers at the end of the 4th quarter when Tyrese Haliburton hit the game-winning shot.

Game 1 averaged nearly 3 times more viewers than the next most-watched program on any other…
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) June 7, 2025

The Thunder-Pacers series is one of the most intriguing clashes of play styles that the league has seen in a while.

The Thunder play a swarming style of defense, forcing turnovers and speeding up ball-handlers, which leads to chaos.

The Pacers, on the other hand, love to push the ball up the court and possess incredible shot-making abilities. They also pressure the opponent over the full-court — a lost art in the modern NBA.

Game 1 of the series was a back-and-forth affair; each team had periods of success and saw their flaws exposed.

NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the leader of the Thunder, playing with a unique brand of basketball that features the return of the mid-range and a relentless attack on the basket.

Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton, on the other hand, plays unselfishly — moving the ball around unlike any star in the league and hitting a high clip of clutch shots using his funky-looking jumpshot.

All of these ingredients culminate in fascinating basketball, which is attracting viewers to watch teams that historically do not garner much attention nationally.

More Pacers news:

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Pacers on Track for Special Postseason Run With Thunder Victory

Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton is Having a Better Postseason Than Prime LeBron James

Pacers' Shocking Turnaround by the Numbers Proves They Can Win It All

Fans in Awe of Bonkers Korean Broadcasts of Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Game Winner

Pacers Were One Wrong Move Away From Total Disaster

For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, head on over to Indiana Pacers on SI.

This article first appeared on Indianapolis Pacers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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