A new force has emerged as the dominant team in basketball.
Oklahoma City capped off an exceptional NBA season with a championship victory Sunday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The Thunder recorded 68 regular season wins—a feat matched or exceeded by only a few teams—and added another 16 playoff wins to secure the title. Since relocating from Seattle in 2008, this marks the franchise’s first championship in Oklahoma City; previously, the won the NBA title in 1979.
After letting a late lead slip away in Game 1, allowing Indiana to win on their home court, OKC faced a tougher road to the championship. Indiana had demonstrated remarkable comeback abilities throughout the playoffs. However, , the NBA regular season and Finals MVP, secured a fourth-quarter advantage for OKC with his passing, finishing with 29 points in Game 7. A precise pass to Cason Wallace under the basket with approximately 9 minutes remaining put the Thunder ahead 86-68. Thunder center blocked a shot on Indiana’s subsequent possession, finishing with a Finals Game 7 record of five blocks. Gilgeous-Alexander then drew the defense before finding Jalen Williams open on the wing, who hit a three-pointer, extending OKC’s lead to a commanding 89-68. Gilgeous-Alexander ended the game with 12 assists and only one turnover. Despite Indiana’s late rally to cut the lead to 10 with less than two minutes left, OKC’s victory was secure.
Indiana’s efforts to overcome adversity in Game 7 were marred when Tyrese Haliburton, their star point guard, re-aggravated a calf strain in his right leg early in the first quarter. Haliburton, who made the in Indiana’s Game 1 win, left the game in visible pain and did not return, likely facing an extended absence into next season. He had started strongly with three first-quarter three-pointers. Following the game, Haliburton, on crutches, could only console his disappointed teammates in the Paycomm Center hallway.
Indiana held a narrow 48-47 lead at halftime, demonstrating their resilience after forcing a Game 7 with a dominant 108-91 victory over OKC in Game 6 on Thursday, marking only the seventh Game 7 in an NBA Finals in the past 38 years. Oklahoma City increased their lead to 65-56 early in the third quarter. T.J. McConnell of Indiana delivered a strong performance in the third quarter, scoring six baskets in the final seven minutes, but no other Pacer contributed.
OKC concluded the third quarter with an 81-68 lead. Indiana struggled to score in the fourth, taking nearly five minutes to put points on the board as the Thunder showcased impressive defense. Indiana committed three times as many turnovers as OKC (21-7). Without Halliburton’s playmaking, Indiana lacked solutions. At one point, Bennedict Mathurin of Indiana, facing relentless OKC defense, threw the ball off the backboard, recovered the rebound, and drew a foul in a desperate but clever move.
Sam Presti, who has overseen OKC’s basketball operations since 2007, has built a sustainable and talented roster. This is the youngest team to win a title in 48 years. Presti acquired Gilgeous-Alexander in a 2019 trade involving Paul George, and the Thunder used one of the draft picks from that deal to select Williams, who averaged 23.6 points per game in the series, including a 40-point performance in OKC’s crucial Game 5 victory.
This series, featuring two smaller-market NBA teams, struggled to attract high viewership. However, those who missed out due to the lack of major city appeal missed an exciting series. The NBA’s new narrative is now set for the foreseeable future.
What is the limit for OKC?
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