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The Oklahoma City Thunder have made history, winning the franchise’s first NBA championship after defeating the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the finals.
The game ended 103-91, but the score was much more competitive throughout the first half despite the Pacers being down their biggest star in the absence of Tyrese Haliburton.
Just seven minutes into the game, Haliburton already had 9 points and looked like he was ready to have a legendary night. That was until he slipped and fell to the court with a no-contact injury after his right leg gave out on him.
Already nursing a calf injury, he immediately begins slapping the floor in frustration and yelling “no, no, no,” and gets emotional as his teammates crowd around him. His father would later tell the media that it was an Achilles injury, and his teammates found a way to stay in the game despite him being ruled out.
Even at halftime, they were up 48-47 thanks to a step-back three from Andrew Nembhard.
But as the third quarter wore on, the lack of Halliburton became more obvious, with the tide starting to sway in OKC’s favor with a Jalen Williams fast break off a steal and a Lu Dort three.
SGA started to cook, a Williams three that bounced around the rim, and suddenly they were up 13 points when the third quarter ended.
That momentum continued into the fourth quarter, as the lead ballooned to 22 points. Still, Indy wasn’t going down without a fight and has a habit of overcoming double-digit leads in the fourth quarter this postseason. They still showed resiliency and were able to outscore the Thunder in the fourth by one point, but the Thunder were able to hold on and win.
OKC’s performance was led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, notching 29 points and 12 assists, which would earn him the NBA Finals MVP.
His teammates showed up too, including Jalen Williams’ 20 points, Chet Holmgren’s 18, as well as Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace scoring double digits.
It’s that teamwork that Gilgeous-Alexander saluted after winning the series 4-3.
“It doesn’t feel real. So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN’s Lisa Salters after the game. “It’s crazy to know that we’re all here. This group worked for it. This group put in the hours. And we deserve this.”
The Thunder are now tied for third place in the most wins through the playoffs with 84 and are the second-youngest team to win a championship in the modern era.
On the other hand, Haliburton’s Achilles injury is the latest in a season full of them, including those of Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard in the postseason alone, which is alarming and may signal the league’s need to reassess the long, grueling 10-month season.
See how social media is reacting to the win and Haliburton’s devastating injury below.