The Oklahoma City Thunder have been crowned NBA champions, wrapping up a remarkable season with a hard-fought 103-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the Finals on Sunday night.
Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 29 points and a playoff career-high 12 assists, powering a dominant second-half performance from the Thunder. The Pacers started strong, even taking a narrow 48-47 lead into halftime, but everything changed after the break. Oklahoma City stormed out in the third quarter, outscoring Indiana 34-20 and building a lead they never gave up.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Gilgeous-Alexander said emotionally after the game. “So many hours, so many moments, so many nights of disbelief. But this group worked for it. We earned this.”
The 26-year-old Canadian capped off a phenomenal year, winning Finals MVP to go with his regular-season MVP and scoring title — becoming the first player since LeBron James in 2013 to achieve that trio in a single season.
Jalen Williams added 20 points, including 15 in the second half, while Chet Holmgren contributed 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks. The Thunder defense forced 23 turnovers from the Pacers, converting them into 32 crucial points.
With the win, the Thunder secured their first NBA title since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008. The franchise’s last championship came in 1979 when they were known as the Seattle SuperSonics.
After failing to close the series in Game 6, Gilgeous-Alexander admitted this win was a massive relief. “So much weight off my shoulders,” he said. “Wouldn’t want to do it with any other group.”
Heartbreak for Pacers After Haliburton Injury
Indiana’s hopes took a big hit just seven minutes into the game when Tyrese Haliburton, their floor general, went down with a leg injury. Already nursing a calf strain, Haliburton had scored nine quick points before collapsing in pain after a drive against Gilgeous-Alexander.
He was helped off the court, visibly upset and unable to put weight on his right leg. “All of our hearts dropped,” said Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, noting that Haliburton remained with the team in the locker room and continued to inspire his teammates.
The Pacers showed fight in his absence. Andrew Nembhard’s step-back three just before halftime gave them a brief lead, and they stayed within striking distance late into the game. But the Thunder’s third-quarter surge, powered by a 9-0 run of three-pointers, broke the game open.
“We had 24 minutes left to go get it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the halftime mindset. “And we finished it.”
Coach Carlisle admitted the third quarter “was the killer,” though he praised his team for battling to the end. “There was no surrender — just defiant fight,” he said.
Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 24 points off the bench, while Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell chipped in 16 each. Nembhard added 15.
Despite a season full of comebacks and heart, the Pacers — once champions in the ABA — are still searching for their first NBA title.
