The Indiana Pacers’ long-awaited return to the NBA Finals hit a turbulent start Tuesday as severe weather in Oklahoma delayed their arrival in Oklahoma City by several hours.
Their charter flight was diverted to Tulsa due to tornado warnings, heavy rain, and high winds across central Oklahoma. After refueling and navigating around additional storms, the team finally landed in OKC around 7 p.m. local time, approximately 3.5 hours behind schedule.
While skies had cleared by their arrival, the delay came amid a chaotic weather day. Flood watches, severe thunderstorm alerts, and a tornado spotted near Norman, just 20 miles from OKC. Airport operations in Oklahoma City were disrupted throughout the afternoon and evening.
Despite the rocky journey, the Pacers will participate in NBA Finals media day on Wednesday. Game 1 is set for Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It marks Indiana’s first Finals since 2000 and OKC’s first since 2012.
As center Myles Turner put it before departure:
“You spend so much time thinking about getting there… now that milestone has been achieved. It’s about doing something with the opportunity.”
