The seeds for the 2025 NBA Finals began getting planted unknowingly in 2017, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was about to enroll at Kentucky and Tyrese Haliburton was getting ready for his senior year of high school.

Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers lead the series 3-2 and won convincingly in Game 4 the last time they were at home, but Jalen Brunson and the Knicks turned in their best performance of the series in Game 5 in New York and have the momentum as they look to force a Game 7 that would take place Monday at Madison Square Garden.