In a thrilling Game 7, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 to secure their first championship since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008. Capitalizing on their home-court advantage, the Thunder's victory continued a streak of seven consecutive seasons with a different NBA champion.
With an average age under 26, the Thunder capped off one of the winningest seasons in league history with a seven-game triumph over a pesky Indiana Pacers team to win the Larry O’Brien trophy.
It was a tight affair in the early-going, indicative of the back-and-forth nature of the entire series, and then disaster struck for Indiana.
Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who had been instrumental in a string of incredible comeback wins for the Pacers this postseason, went down with a non-contact injury to his lower right leg. He writhed in pain, slapping the floor in a mixture of frustration, heartbreak and physical discomfort. His father later confirmed to broadcaster ESPN what many had suspected - it was an Achilles injury for the 25-year-old.
Game 7 turned when Haliburton went down. The Pacers star strained his calf in Game 5 five days earlier, but he played through the injury in Game 6 and started out hot in Game 7, hitting three 3-pointers in the opening minutes. But with five minutes to go in the first quarter, Haliburton crumbled to the floor and immediately was in serious pain. Haliburton did not return and the fear is he tore his Achilles.
The Pacers stayed in the game throughout the first half and led by one point at halftime, but the Thunder blew things open in the third quarter. OKC began a 19-2 run late in the third quarter and eventually took a 22-point lead. The spurt was sparked by defense. OKC forced a total of 21 turnovers in the game. Chet Holmgren had five blocks, and Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams all had multiple steals.
Gilgeous-Alexander served as the steady face of Oklahoma City's franchise as the Thunder stripped down the roster around him and went through a rapid rebuild. His commitment and faith in the franchise never wavered as the Thunder endured 22- and 24-win seasons before making double-digit win leaps in each of the past three years, culminating with this 68-win campaign.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander emerged as a pivotal figure in this championship game, scoring an impressive 29 points and earning both league MVP and Finals MVP honors . His performance was especially crucial given the adversity faced by the Pacers; Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles tendon injury early in the match severely limited Indiana's offensive capabilities. This incident exemplified how injuries can dramatically influence playoff outcomes and highlighted Gilgeous-Alexander’s role as not just a scorer but also a leader under pressure .
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