The sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder meet in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals Tuesday.

New York, on the other hand, defeated the Detroit Pistons in six games in the first round. The Knicks then backed that up with a win in Game 6 to win their series against the Boston Celtics, who played both Game 5 and Game 6 without Jayson Tatum after he tore his Achilles.

Here’s who our NBA.com experts are picking to reach the NBA Finals, presented by YouTube TV:

Here are our expert's picks for Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder

The matchups are set for the 2025 NBA conference finals, as the Thunder will meet the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals and the Knicks will play the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Follow live as the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference finals

THE NOTRE DAME-USC FOOTBALL RIVALRY One of college football's iconic rivalries is at risk. The future of Notre Dame vs. USC-- which has been played in every non-pandemic season since 1946 -- is in question as the Trojans weigh a variety of factors.

But there's also history from a year ago, when the Pacers beat the Knicks in the second round in seven games. Will history repeat itself? New York travels to Indianapolis for Game 1 of the series on Wednesday,