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Out of the last 73 NBA Finals games, starting with the 2012 Heat-Thunder matchup through last season’s Boston-Dallas series, the average margin of victory has been 12.4 points per game.There hasn’t been an instance of more than three consecutive single-digit finals winning margins in that stretch, and 45 of the 73 games have been decided by at least 10 points.

And there have been only six games in the last 12 finals decided by three points or less — while 10 have been decided by 20 points or more.There hasn’t been an overtime game in the NBA Finals since Game 1 of the 2018 series between Golden State and Cleveland.The seven-year drought and counting without a finals overtime game is the longest in NBA history. There was a six-year stretch from 1984 through 1990 without an OT finals game, but never seven — until now.

If Oklahoma City wins the NBA title, it will mark the 13th time in the last 14 seasons that a division champion has wound up winning the finals.The only exception in that span was Golden State in 2022. Before that, the last team to not win their division but win the NBA title was Dallas in 2011 — coached by current Indiana coach Carlisle.

The Thunder and Pacers are playing for the NBA championship, the Larry O’Brien Trophy and about $5 million.

Technically, $5,002,359. That’s what one team will get added to its share of the league’s annual playoff pool by winning the NBA Finals this season.Instead, Reebok struggled to find its footing, gradually losing its identity in both sports and style.

“Now it’s time for us to get Reebok back to prominence,” said O’Neal, who played a key role in Reebok’s acquisition in 2021 by Authentic Brands Group, where he is a shareholder. “There’s all these competitive brands, which is fine. It makes the job harder. But for me, it’s all about motivation and trying to build.”“Power Moves” dives into Reebok’s strategy for staying relevant, including signing rising stars like WNBA phenom

to the brand’s first name, image and likeness (NIL) deal. The series also shows how O’Neal leans on a surprising source for insight into today’s athletes through his son, Shareef.Shaq was initially set on creating high-top sneakers, until a visit to a massive Amateur Athletic Union tournament — with nearly 70 courts — sparked a shift. Shareef pulled his dad aside and explained that low tops are the go-to for this generation. It was a lightbulb moment that helped Shaq better understand and connect with modern players.