98.1 FM WWLS The Sports Animal is the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the NBA Finals!
Catch every moment as we near the end to this historic NBA season as the Oklahoma City Thunder look to win their 1st NBA Finals and bring the Larry O’Brien trophy to Oklahoma City. It’s the OKC Thunder vs. the Indiana Pacers!
All games can be heard on the Thunder flagship station, 98.1FM WWLS The Sports Animal in Oklahoma City and ESPN 640AM with Matt Pinto on the call plus the spanish call of home games on 930AM WKY with Eleno Ornelas.
Games can streamed on The Sports Animal App, The Sports Animal dot com and the iHeartRadio app within a 75-mile radius of Oklahoma City. Thunder Radio Network stations from across the state can be found here!
Thunder Radio Network hosts Gideon Hamilton and Matt Ravis get you ready on game days with the Thunder Forecast pre-game show plus let you sound off with calls and texts during the Thunder Recap post-game shows.
All-day Finals coverage begins each day with The Morning Animals breaking down the matchup plus all of the other Animals deliver their takes and as always take your calls and texts.
WWLS The Sports Animal’s NBA Finals Gameday Schedule
THU 06/05 – Game 1
5:30p – 7p: Sports Animal Thunder Forecast Pregame show with Gideon Hamilton, Matt Ravis and Michael Cage
7p-7:30p: Thunder Radio Network Pregame with Gideon Hamilton and Matt Pinto
7:30p: Game 1 Tip-off Pacers vs. Thunder with the voice of the Thunder Matt Pinto
10p-10:30p: Thunder Radio Network Postgame
10:30p-MID: Sports Animal Thunder Recap Postgame show with Gideon Hamilton and Matt Ravis live from Lively Beerworks
SUN 06/08 – Game 2
3p-4p: The Morning Animals ThunderStorm Watch Pregame Show
4p-5p: Total Thunder Dominance with Jim Traber, Al Eschbach, Mark Rodgers along with Berry Tramel and Dean Blevins
5p-6:30p: Sports Animal Thunder Forecast Pregame show with Gideon Hamilton, Matt Ravis and Michael Cage
6:30p-7p: Thunder Radio Network Pregame with Gideon Hamilton and Matt Pinto
7p: Game 2 Tip-off Pacers vs. Thunder with the voice of the Thunder Matt Pinto
9:30p-10p: Thunder Radio Network Postgame
10p-11:30p: Sports Animal Thunder Recap Postgame show with Gideon Hamilton and Matt Ravis live from Lively Beerworks
THUNDER UP IN THE PARK FOR NBA FINALS
Chance to win game tickets and more
OKLAHOMA CITY – Wednesday, June 4, 2025 – The Oklahoma City Thunder is continuing a fan favorite for the NBA Finals, beginning Thursday, June 5. Thunder UP in the Park is the ultimate pregame fan experience with activities, performances, and the Thunder Ticket Challenge presented by Simple Modern.
Thunder UP in the Park begins 3.5 hours before each home game tipoff; 4 –7 p.m. for Game 1 on Thursday and 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. for Game 2 on Sunday.
For Game 1, activities include:
- Thunder Ticket Challenge, provided by Simple Modern
- ESPN’s OKC Thunder Floral Shield Photo Op
- Live Artwork
- OG&E Thunder Bolt
- Thunder-Themed Haircuts and Styling
- Fan Tunnel
- Video Game Truck
- Sport Court
- Michelob ULTRA Beer Garden (21 and up)
- Airbrush Tattoos and Face Painting
- Newspaper Stand Artwork
- Merch Trailer
- Live DJ and Thunder Entertainers
- And More
To learn more about Thunder UP in the Park, visit okcthunder.com/playoffscentral.
2025 NBA Finals Preview from Matt Meyer | @Bluto51 on X (Twitter)
The NBA Finals return to Oklahoma City for the first time in 13 years as Game 1 is Thursday night at 7:30 on WWLS, the Thunder Radio Network, and ABC. Been an interesting journey for the Thunder to get back here. When OKC lost to the Miami Heat in five games back in 2012, most observers, myself included, didn’t think it would take more than a decade and a complete rebuild for the Thunder to return. The future looked incredibly bright and the sky was the limit. However, a stunning trade four months after the loss to Miami, an injury here or there, the centerpiece choosing to go to Golden State, the flag bearer wanting to be traded, and before you know it, despite some consistent success, the group that had so much promise had dissipated to history without much fulfillment.
It’s pro sports. It happens. Things don’t always work out like you want. The best people and the best organizations dust themselves off, get up, and chart a new path. Rebuild, reload, and come back stronger. That’s what the Thunder have done, and over the next couple of weeks, they have a chance to cement their place in the annals of NBA history. Sam Presti had a marvelous plan, including the acquisition of a new centerpiece, incredible drafting, and last summer, a couple of key acquisitions to augment a roster that had the best record in the Western Conference a season ago. After a couple of painful seasons, the crawl back to prominence has led to this: Game 1 on Thursday.
As a lifelong Oklahoman and a devout sports fan, I would’ve never dreamed that we would get a professional team at the highest level. Wasn’t even a consideration, but it happened with the Hornets for two seasons because of tragic circumstances. Over those two seasons, Oklahoma City proved that they were hungry for their own team. Clay Bennett and company delivered, and it didn’t take long for the Thunder to get good. Then really good. Then on the doorstep of a championship, only to see those dreams roll back down the mountain without reaching the summit. Now’s our chance to finally get to the top.
When I say “our,” obviously, fans like me will have very little to do with it. It’s the players on the court and the coaches on the sideline that determine who wins and loses. Fans can provide a home court advantage and encouragement, but that doesn’t make a shot go in or retrieve a rebound. Despite that, as someone who has so much pride in this place, someone who’s never lived anywhere else and doesn’t want to, and someone who loves sports and the teams that represent us, I’m more excited for this edition of the NBA Finals than I’ve ever been, including 2012. Sure, I was over the moon then, but I’m much more confident in the home team holding the trophy at series end than I was 13 years ago. It’s no guarantee and I think it’ll be more difficult than a lot of people believe, but I do think it’s the Thunder’s time. Our time.
Sounds simple, but as long as the Thunder defend as they are capable of and as they have done the entire season, Oklahoma City will be your champions in a couple of weeks. The key for this team, a group that’s still young and doesn’t have much championship experience, is to remember what got them here and to not deviate from that. It all starts on the defensive end for a team that is one of the better defensive teams that I’ve ever seen in the NBA. Who knows if they’re the best as some have suggested; there’s a lot of different ways to judge that. The eye test tells me that they’re one of the best that I can remember. Lu Dort has given Tyrese Haliburton fits. Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams can lock people down. There’s fantastic rim protection with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Just getting quality looks against this bunch is exhausting, let alone putting the ball in the hoop.
Then there’s the MVP. When the Thunder traded for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, his talent wasn’t the question. Whether or not he would be a star wasn’t even a discussion. The question that I had was if SGA could be the best player, the number one option, the unquestioned cornerstone of a championship level team. That question has been answered over the last couple of seasons. Now is his time to silence any doubters that might be left. After a slow start to the playoffs, SGA has played better and better and appears primed to add his name to a very select list of all time greats.
Remember, these chances at history aren’t guaranteed. No matter how bright the future looks, championship opportunities can be elusive. It’s been 13 years since the Thunder had this opportunity, and that team wasn’t able to take the final step. This version of the Thunder will. Oklahoma City in 6.
