OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder capped off a sensational season with a historic NBA championship on Sunday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals at the Paycom Center.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 29 points and a playoff career-high 12 assists, earning Finals MVP honors to go along with his regular-season MVP and scoring title. The 26-year-old becomes the first player since LeBron James in 2013 to achieve both MVP accolades in the same season.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, his voice breaking with emotion. “But this group worked for it. We deserved this.”
The Thunder, who led the NBA with 68 regular-season wins, turned a one-point halftime deficit into a commanding lead with a dominant 34-20 third quarter, eventually extending the margin to 22 points in the fourth. The victory marked Oklahoma City’s first NBA title since the franchise relocated from Seattle in 2008. The team’s last championship came in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics.
Pacers Lose Haliburton Early
Indiana’s hopes were dealt a massive blow when All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton exited the game just seven minutes in after suffering a leg injury. Already managing a right calf strain, Haliburton went down trying to drive past Gilgeous-Alexander and was visibly in pain as he was helped off the court.
“What happened with Tyrese, all of our hearts dropped,” said Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. “But he was with us at halftime, still believing we could do this.”
Despite Haliburton’s absence, the underdog Pacers remained competitive, even taking a 48-47 lead at halftime thanks to a late three-pointer from Andrew Nembhard. However, the Thunder came out with urgency in the second half, sparked by a 9-0 run that included back-to-back threes from Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams.
Holmgren added 18 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks, while Williams scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half.
The Pacers were plagued by 23 turnovers, leading to 32 Thunder points, a stat that ultimately proved decisive. Despite strong performances from Bennedict Mathurin (24 points), Pascal Siakam (16), T.J. McConnell (16), and Nembhard (15), Indiana couldn’t complete their remarkable playoff run.
“That quarter was the killer,” Carlisle admitted, referring to the third. “But there was no surrender. It was defiant fight until the end.”
The Pacers, who won three ABA titles in the 1970s, continue their quest for a first NBA championship since the league’s 1976 merger.
With the victory, the Thunder not only secured their place in history but also reaffirmed their status as one of the league’s brightest young teams — and Gilgeous-Alexander its newest superstar.
