The Oklahoma City Thunder are the new NBA champions after defeating the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the Finals (103-91) this Sunday, earning their first championship since the franchise arrived in Oklahoma City in 2008. This season, they had to fight until the very end to defeat the Pacers, who showed great performance despite a serious injury to point guard Tyrese Haliburton in the first quarter.
The team coached by Mark Daigneault and led on the court by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already has their ring after a season in which they dominated their opponents with their tremendous defense and the Canadian player’s excellent offensive performance on the other end. In this decisive game, the Thunder showed their full potential with a third quarter in which they swept past the Indianapolis team (34-20), which was decisive for the home team’s victory.
Although they had to suffer until the very end, the Pacers fought until the very end, as they have done throughout these historic playoffs, which brought them within one game of being champions. This fight came without their star player, Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered a serious injury to his Achilles tendon five minutes into the game and had to leave the Paycom Center (Oklahoma City) in tears, ending his memorable season in the cruelest way possible.
The American point guard started the game in the best possible way, with three consecutive three-pointers that gave the Pacers their first lead in the game. However, after a dunk, Haliburton fell to the floor and began to cry inconsolably, aware that he had just suffered a serious injury that would keep him out of the most important game of his life, leaving every fan in the arena speechless.
Despite this tough blow, the Indianapolis team held their own, with Pascal Siakam looking to emerge as the hero of the night. On the other side, only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Alex Caruso were the only players capable of finding offensive solutions for the Thunder, who were beginning to feel the pressure of being the clear favorites to win this decisive matchup following the injury of the American point guard.
The Paycom Center was squeezing with a spectacular atmosphere worthy of a Game 7, but the home team’s three-pointers weren’t landing, and after a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Canadian guard Andrew Nembhard, the Pacers ended the first half ahead, sowing doubts in the home team, who needed both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to play.
With the goal of turning the tide of the game around, Daigneault made a change to the starting lineup, bringing in guard Alex Caruso for center Isaiah Hartenstein. A change that couldn’t have gone better for the Western Conference champions, who regained their identity and began finding more offensive ways to score and break away from the scoreboard.
After a 9-0 run, the Thunder began to push toward their first championship, but T.J. McConnell was going to do everything possible to prevent it. The American point guard scored 12 consecutive points without a miss, allowing Indianapolis to stay in the game despite all the turnovers Rick Carlisle’s team was committing.
At the end of the third quarter, the Thunder led by 13 points, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams playing at the level they have shown all season. The final quarter was dominated by Chet Holmgren, who made four blocks and left the Pacers with no scoring opportunities in the paint, with McConnell as their only offensive resource.
The Paycom Center was a ‘blue hell’ and carried the Thunder to a 22-point lead. The more than 18,000 spectators in attendance began to celebrate the title, but Benedict Mathurin, using free throws, managed to cut the deficit to 11 points. The nerves of closing out a title game began to show for the home team, who couldn’t quite close out the game.
However, a pair of consecutive good defenses allowed the Thunder to extend their lead and ultimately win the game 103-91, beginning the celebration of the franchise’s first ring since its arrival in Oklahoma City in 2008. The Bill Russell Award for NBA Finals MVP went to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who capped off a historic season, achieving the most important individual titles possible and leading the Thunder to their first ring in their history.
