NBA Finals are here, and Game 1 is set for Thursday, June 5 at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City where the team with the best record this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder, host the Indiana Pacers to start the championship series.

The game plan was the obvious one. Just chip away, the Indiana Pacers said, because there was no other option that would have made any sense at that point.

Oklahoma City and Indiana needed years of savvy maneuvering to overcome their disadvantages as small-market franchises and reach the sport’s biggest stage.