The NBA Finals tip off at 7:30 p.m. CDT Thursday with the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder starting the best-of-seven series for the league championship.

Cleveland swingman Isaac Okoro figures the Cavaliers ought to be representing the Eastern Conference instead of the Pacers.

“We felt like we were just — we were supposed to win the Finals,” Okoro said after Cleveland’s season ended with a 114-105 loss to Indiana on May 13. “I mean, that’s ultimately what hurts. Like, yes, we did great during the regular season, but we all had bigger goals than just winning 64, 63 games, being No. 1 seed in the East. Our goal was to win the championship, so coming up short, you know, that’s what hurts the most.”

The Cavaliers posted a 64-18 regular-season record, the best in the NBA East. But after sweeping the Miami Heat in a first-round series, Cleveland fell to the Pacers in five games

“I mean, great regular season,” Okoro said, “but we didn’t get to where we wanted to get to, and that’s ultimately the Finals and winning the championship.”

The 2024-25 campaign was Okoro’s fifth with the Cavaliers, who added him from Auburn with the fifth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

In Okoro’s rookie season, Cleveland won 22 games. The next season, the Cavaliers reached the play-in tournament. In Okoro’s third season, Cleveland lost in the first round of the playoffs. Last season, the Cavs reached the second round.

This season’s team posted the second-most regular-season victories in franchise history but didn’t go any further into the playoffs than last season’s team.

“I do believe this group is ready to win a championship,” Okoro said. “Like I said, guys not being healthy was just unlucky for us. Guys playing through certain things. I mean, but everyone playing in the playoffs is playing through certain things, so that’s not an excuse or anything like that. But we just got to be better.

“But I do feel like this group is prepared to win a championship.”

The Cavaliers have their “core four” under contract for next season – guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, power forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen. Each player started at least 71 games for Cleveland in the 2024-25 season. No other player made more than 37 starts for the Cavs.

“I feel like we have a lot of mentally tough guys on this team,” Okoro said, “so everyone definitely, this is adding fuel to the fire for everyone, and I feel like everyone’s motivated to come back a better player.”

During his NBA career, Okoro has averaged 8.1 points per game and has built a reputation as a defensive standout. But the Pacers scored at least 114 points in each of their second-round victories and hit 129 in taking a 3-1 lead in the series.

“I give credit to them,” Okoro said. “Their offense, fast-paced offense, they moved the ball. It wasn’t one person just trying to attack. Everyone on the team was touching the ball. Everyone on the team was moving, cutting, playing with force. Like I said, they’re a fast-paced team, so that kind of disrupted our defense. So that’s what really made it difficult for us.”

During the 2024-25 season, Okoro recorded career lows with averages of 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.6 steals in 55 games, also a career low.

A shoulder injury limited Okoro to playing in only five of Cleveland’s 27 games from Dec. 16 to Feb. 20.

“I feel like after that injury, I was just, you know, I felt like I was just climbing to get back to where I was at at the beginning of the season,” Okoro said. “My shoulder felt good, though. I mean, whenever I came back, I felt 100 percent. I felt good, and it didn’t bother me.”

Before the two-month period spent mostly on the sideline, Okoro played in 23 games, with 16 starts, and made 49.2 percent of his 3-point shots. After putting the injury behind him, Okoro played in 27 games, with six starts, and made 34.2 percent of his 3-pointers.

At this time last year, Okoro was headed into the offseason as a restricted free agent. But he stayed with Cleveland for a three-year, $38 million contract.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.