“Our home-court advantages are different because people are really passionate about our teams,” Haliburton said. “Their ...

The NBA is a copycat league, so plenty of teams are likely looking at the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers for ideas of how to reshape their own rosters.

Both Oklahoma City and Indiana upended one of professional basketball’s oldest tropes en route to the 2025 NBA Finals.

But now, a pair of small-market teams in Oklahoma City and Indiana have used that scenario to advance to the NBA Finals. Paul George was drafted by the Pacers, but first he wanted out of Indiana ...