NBA Finals guide: When the games are, how to watch, what the odds are

This is it. It's time for Game 7. The NBA season will end with a new champion.

The Indiana Pacers sent the NBA Finals to the ultimate game, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 on Thursday night to tie the title series at 3-3.

The all-or-nothing deciding game of the series is Sunday night in Oklahoma City.

It will be the 20th Game 7 in NBA Finals history. Home teams have gone 15-4 to this point — but a road team won the most recent one of these showdowns, when Cleveland topped Golden State in 2016.

— The Game 7 preview

— Thunder have a knack for avoiding technicals

— Pacers assistant Jenny Boucek focused on ring, not history

— Can Chet Holmgren bounce back?

— All eyes on Game 7

— Inside the numbers of Game 7

— Haliburton plays hurt, sparks big win

— A 36-9 run dooms Thunder

— TJ McConnell is ready for whatever is needed

— Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams went on a historic scoring spree

— Rest is a lovely luxury in the NBA Finals

— Haliburton plays through leg injury

— Rick Carlisle talks up the WNBA

— Rick Carlisle defends referee Scott Foster

— Jalen Williams and his role with the Thunder

— The ties that bind: Fever, Pacers more than neighbors

— For Thunder, the obstacle is the way

— Alex Caruso, Oklahoma City’s ‘Robin’

— Thunder break record for most points in a season

— Pacers coach Rick Carlisle using his platform during finals

— The moment is not too big for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

— Don Nelson wins Chuck Daly Award and makes a Luka Doncic statement

— There’s Canadian intrigue in these finals

— Tyrese Haliburton is Mr. Clutch

— In OKC, everybody must visit the memorial

— It’s the Comeback Playoffs

— Commissioner Adam Silver talks parity, expansion, more

— Things to know about these NBA Finals

— The long, winding road for Rick Carlisle

— Players play for the trophy. Referees ref for the jacket

— Ashley Kerr wins a lot of titles. She’s Mark Daigneault’s wife

— The ratings might not be good. The NBA has 76 billion reasons not to worry

— In Seattle, the message is clear: ‘Go Pacers’

This year will mark the second NBA Finals to end on June 22. The other was in 1994, when Houston beat New York in Game 7.

Other than the COVID-19-affected finals of 2020 and 2021 (the 2020 finals ended on Oct. 11 and the 2021 finals ended on July 20), only two NBA seasons have gone deeper into the calendar.

The 1999 finals ended on June 25 and the 2005 finals ended on June 23. Both were won by San Antonio.

The win in Game 5 of the NBA Finals was Oklahoma City’s 83rd of the season (68 regular season, 15 playoffs).

The Thunder won’t catch Golden State and its record 88 wins in 2015-16, nor will it catch Chicago and its 87 wins in 1995-96.

But the Thunder could move into a tie with the 1996-97 Bulls for No. 3 all-time for most wins in a season.

A look at where the Thunder are on the all-time wins list:

88 wins — Golden State, 2015-16

87 wins — Chicago, 1995-96

84 wins — Chicago, 1996-97

83 wins — Golden State, 2016-17; Oklahoma City, 2024-25.

Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 3,143 points this season when combining the regular season and the playoffs. That's tied with Elgin Baylor (1962-63) for the 14th most in NBA history.

The MVP easily could make the top 10 on Sunday as well. He needs:

2 points to pass Wilt Chamberlain (3,144 in 1960-61) for the 13th most in a season.

6 points to pass Michael Jordan (3,148 in 1986-87) for 12th.

14 points to pass Kevin Durant (3,156 for the Thunder in 2013-14) for 11th.

21 points to pass Jordan (3,163 in 1991-92) for 10th.

24 points to pass James Harden (3,166 in 2018-19) for ninth.

That’s where the potential climb realistically ends: Gilgeous-Alexander would need 65 points to pass Jordan for the eighth-highest scoring season in NBA history.

(And if the NBA Cup championship game counted, he already would have 3,164 points and be alone in 10th place on the single-season list.)

Oklahoma City (-300) is still the favorite — but no longer a huge one — to win the NBA title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Indiana's odds are now +240 after the Game 6 win.

The Thunder are 7.5-point favorites over Indiana for Game 7. That's down a point from Friday.

The Pacers covered in 14 of their first 22 games of these playoffs. The Thunder — favored in every game so far — covered 10 out of 22 times to this point.

All games of the NBA Finals will be aired on ABC.

June 5 — Game 1, Indiana 111, Oklahoma City 110

June 8 — Game 2, Oklahoma City 123, Indiana 107

June 11 — Game 3, Indiana 116, Oklahoma City 107

June 13 — Game 4, Oklahoma City 111, Indiana 104

Monday — Game 5, Oklahoma City 120, Indiana 109

Thursday — Game 6, Indiana 108, Oklahoma City 91

Sunday — Game 7, Indiana at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m. EDT

This is the first time since 2022 that both the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final went at least six games.

The Florida Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup on Tuesday night, finishing off a six-game series with the Edmonton Oilers.

The 688 miles by air between Oklahoma City and Indiana — by road, it is a bit longer — represents the shortest distance between finals cities in 69 years. That doesn’t count the pandemic “bubble” season, when the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat were in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, for the entirety of the 2020 finals.

The last time a between-cities finals trip was this short was 1956, with only 530 miles separating Fort Wayne and Philadelphia.

Other short finals trips, in air miles: Syracuse to Fort Wayne (489 miles, 1955), Rochester to New York (253 miles, 1951) and Baltimore to Philadelphia (90 miles, 1948).

The longest distance between finals cities was Boston to San Francisco for the 2022 finals; those cities are 2,704 miles apart by air. That’s just about 10 miles longer than Boston to Oakland, and about 100 miles longer than Boston to Los Angeles.

Under the current league format, the shortest possible distance between finals cities would be the 297 miles that separates Minnesota and Milwaukee. That’s just a bit shorter than Memphis-Atlanta (331) and Minnesota-Chicago (334).

June 25 — NBA draft, first round.

June 26 — NBA draft, second round.

A recap of Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s winning of the NBA MVP award.

The story: Gilgeous-Alexander tops Jokic for MVP award

The reaction: SGA tears up when talking about his wife

Steve Nash speaks: Canada’s 1st MVP thrilled to see SGA follow him

The notebook: Jokic finishes top-2 again, Giannis’ streak ends, LeBron gets votes

— Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is one of eight coaches in NBA history to lead multiple franchises to the NBA Finals. Larry Brown, Bill Fitch, Alex Hannum, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Bill Sharman and Gene Shue are the others. Of those coaches, only Hannum, Jackson and Riley have won an NBA title with two different organizations. Carlisle, who coached Dallas to the 2011 NBA title, could join that list.

— Think things are even? The Thunder are 2-2 in this series when leading after one quarter and the Pacers are 1-1. Both teams are 2-1 when leading at halftime. The Thunder are 2-2 when leading after three quarters, the Pacers are 1-1.

“The flow to the day doesn’t change. You’re in your own bed. You have shootaround at your building. You eat your pregame meal from your chef or your whoever. It’s very comfortable, the whole flow to the day, and then the crowd is behind you. They give you energy, whether you’re up or down or whatever is going on in the night. It’s an advantage.” — Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, of playing a Game 7 at home.

“It’s a championship game. Do or die. Mentality is just ... you shouldn’t have to get hyped to play this game. I think the situation is what it is.” — Pacers center Myles Turner.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) defends during the first half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives past Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, left, and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, center, battle for the rebound during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith reacts after a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin is fouled by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) celebrates a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) battle for the ball during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, right, tries to shoot over Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) shoots over Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) dunks against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Oklahoma City Thunder fans cheer during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Indiana Pacers Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Shaquille O'Neal watches the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Chris Paul watches the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the Indiana Pacers and theOklahoma City Thunder Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) blocks a shot by Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7), Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) and forward Aaron Nesmith (23) reach for the ball during Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (Matthew Stockman/Pool Photo via AP)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) dunks during the second half in Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Indiana Pacers Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (Matthew Stockman/Pool Photo via AP)

Oklahoma City Thunder players and coaches celebrate after Game 5 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner holds the trophy as players celebrate after winning Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he’s dropping — for now — his push to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, a move that comes after legal roadblocks held up the effort.

“We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again - Only a question of time!" he said in a social media post Wednesday.

Governors typically control states' National Guardsmen, and Trump had deployed troops to all three cities against the wishes of state and local Democratic leaders. He said it was necessary as part of a broader crackdown on immigration, crime and protests.

The president has made a crackdown on crime in cities a centerpiece of his second term — and has toyed with the idea of invoking the Insurrection Act to stop his opponents from using the courts to block his plans. He has said he sees his tough-on-crime approach as a winning political issue ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

Troops had already left Los Angeles after the president deployed them earlier this year as part of a broader crackdown on crime and immigration.

In his post, Trump said the troops' presence was responsible for a drop in crime in the three cities, though they were never on the streets in Chicago and Portland as legal challenges played out. When the Chicago deployment was challenged in court, a Justice Department lawyer said the Guard’s mission would be to protect federal properties and government agents in the field, not “solving all of crime in Chicago.”

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson’s office in a statement said the city’s reduction in crime was due to the efforts of local police and public safety programs. Chicago officials echoed the sentiment, saying in a release Tuesday that the city had 416 homicides in 2025 — the fewest since 2014.

Trump’s push to deploy the troops in Democrat-led cities has been met with legal challenges at nearly every turn.

The Supreme Court in December refused to allow the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area. The order was not a final ruling but was a significant and rare setback by the high court for the president’s efforts.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wrote on X Wednesday that Trump “lost in court when Illinois stood up against his attempt to militarize American cities with the National Guard. Now Trump is forced to stand down.”

Hundreds of troops from California and Oregon were deployed to Portland, but a federal judge barred them from going on the streets. A judge permanently blocked the deployment of National Guard troops there in November after a three-day trial.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement Wednesday that her office had not yet received “official notification that the remaining federalized Oregon National Guard troops can return home. They were never lawfully deployed to Portland and there was no need for their presence. If President Trump has finally chosen to follow court orders and demobilize our troops, that’s a big win for Oregonians and for the rule of law.”

Trump's decision to federalize National Guard troops began in Los Angeles in June, when protesters took to the streets in response to a blitz of immigration arrests in the area. He deployed about 4,000 troops and 700 Marines to guard federal buildings and, later, to protest federal agents as they carried out immigration arrests.

The number of troops slowly dwindled until just several hundred were left. They were removed from the streets by Dec. 15 after a lower court ruling that also ordered control to be returned to Gov. Gavin Newsom. But an appeals court had paused the second part of the order, meaning control remained with Trump. In a Tuesday court filing, the Trump administration said it was no longer seeking a pause in that part of the order.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to return control of the National Guard to Newsom.

“About time (Trump) admitted defeat,” Newsom said in a social media post. “We’ve said it from day one: the federal takeover of California’s National Guard is illegal.”

Troops will remain on the ground in several other cities. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in December paused a lower court ruling that had called for an end to the deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., where they’ve been deployed since August after Trump declared a “crime emergency.”

Trump also ordered the deployment of the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis in September as part of a larger federal task force to combat crime, a move supported by the state’s Republican Gov. Bill Lee and senators. A Tennessee judge blocked the use of the Guard, siding with Democratic state and local officials who sued. However, the judge stayed the decision to block the Guard as the state appeals, allowing the deployment to continue.

In New Orleans, about 350 National Guard troops deployed by Trump arrived in the city's historic French Quarter on Tuesday and are set to stay through Mardi Gras to help with safety. The state's Republican governor and the city's Democratic mayor support the deployment.

Ding reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters John O'Connor in Springfield, Illinois, Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, Jack Brook in New Orleans and Adrian Sanz in Memphis contributed.

FILE - A protester confronts a line of U.S. National Guard members in the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)

FILE - Protesters stand off against California National Guard soldiers at the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles, during a "No Kings" protest, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)