NBA Finals: How many wins do the Pacers and Thunder need to clinch the title?

Jun 17, 2025 07:39 AM IST

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The NBA Finals work on a best of seven format, with the finalists playing each other in a series of a maximum of seven games on a home-and-away basis.How many games are needed to win the NBA Finals?

The NBA Finals work on a best of seven format, with the finalists playing each other in a series of a maximum of seven games on a home-and-away basis.

The NBA Finals 2025 are ongoing, with the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder locking horns in Game 5.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins, right, drives as Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) and center Tony Bradley (13) defend during the first half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series.(AP)

The series was tied 2-2 coming into the game as both teams chase the NBA title to the best of their ability. But there can be only one winner.

So, how many games do the Pacers and the Thunder need to win in the NBA Finals to be crowned champions?

How many games are needed to win the NBA Finals?

The NBA Finals work on a best-of-seven format with both finalists playing each other for a maximum of seven games on a home-and-away basis. The team that wins four games is crowned champion.

In the current context, both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers won two each of the first four games of the 2025 NBA Finals. So, coming into Game 5, both teams need to win two games to win the NBA championship.

The Pacers won the first game, and the Thunder bounced back in Game 2. The cycle repeated in Game 3 and Game 4 in the same order. The team that wins two of the next three games will be declared the winner.

Odds are, the Game 5 winner will go on to win the series. It’s happened that way 23 times in the previous 31 instances of the NBA Finals being tied at two games apiece. The Oklahoma City Thunder led by a significant margin at halftime of Game 5. Game 6 will be in Indianapolis on Thursday night. If a Game 7 is necessary, it will be back in Oklahoma City on Sunday night.