Pascal Siakam reflects on his 6-year journey back to the NBA Finals, leading the Indiana Pacers into a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

A win over the Pacers, and a potential Finals MVP, would lock OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into elite company — whether he accepts it or not.

The Pacers have acquired Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and other key pieces through a series of high-reward moves.

With two Eastern Conference Finals appearances in the past two seasons, the Pacers are enjoying a renaissance of sorts in the mid-2020s. Indiana might not have the biggest names scattered across its roster.

Pacers forward Jarace Walker is expected to miss at least the first two games of the NBA Finals and possibly more than that, head coach Rick Carlisle said during a Monday morning appearance on 107.5 The Fan in Indiana ( YouTube link; hat tip to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star ).

The Pacers have finally ended the franchise's 25-year NBA Finals drought, achieving the unthinkable after starting 10-15 and looking like anything but a title contender. Now Indiana will try to exorcise the demons of its decades-long,

The Indiana Pacers are heading to their second NBA Finals appearance in their franchise history.  The Pacers took care of business against their longtime rivals