The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of their NBA finals series to capture their first championship since moving to Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (photo courtesy Athlon Sports)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 29 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out 12 assists, earning the Finals MVP title afterward. Jalen Williams also had a great game, scoring 20 points along with four rebounds and four assists, while their center, Chet Holmgren, contributed 18 points and eight rebounds.
On the Pacers’ side, Benedict Mathurin was the standout player, scoring 24 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and dishing out three assists. He was followed closely by Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard, who both scored 16 points.
Lead Guard Tyrese Haliburton started strong in the first quarter, hitting three three-pointers, but sadly, he suffered a serious Achilles injury that forced him to head back to the locker room and be ruled out for the game. This setback disrupted the momentum the Pacers were building, but they still managed to stay competitive with the Thunder in the first half, leading 48-47.
However, the second half reveals a different narrative. The Thunder made solid defensive adjustments, restricting the Pacers to only 20 points, while they exploded offensively, scoring 34 points in that quarter. It was around the middle of the fourth quarter when the Pacers went on a small run, narrowing the lead to 10 points as the game approached its final moments. Still, the Thunder continued to sink free throws, stalling the Pacers’ momentum. A few minutes passed, and then the buzzer went off for the Thunder, signaling the start of their celebration.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the Finals MVP after a dominant Game 7, adding to his Kia NBA MVP and scoring title. He averaged 30.3 points in the 2025 NBA Finals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Yeah, it’s been a long journey. Long season, a lot of games. I just wanted to give it my all tonight, and I think I did so.
“So much weight off my shoulders. So much stress relieved,” Gilgeous-Alexander said in his news conference. “No matter what, you go into every night wanting to win. Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way. Tonight could have been one of those nights where we found a way.”
The city has announced that the parade is set for Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. CT. Before the parade kicks off, the team will be at Paycom Center with the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Although the ceremony inside Paycom Center won’t be accessible to the public, it will be broadcast live on local TV stations and the team’s YouTube channel.
I really enjoyed the article. I am not a big NBA fan but wanted to know about Game 7 because I missed it live (although I taped it on my DVR). I thought the article had good information about the flow of the game and the key players. I also like how a few quotes from the press conference were used.