Thunder Strike Gold: OKC Claims NBA Championship in Game 7
The Oklahoma City Thunder are NBA champions for the first time since moving from Seattle, defeating the Indiana Pacers in a dramatic Game 7 on their home floor. In front of a roaring Paycom Center crowd, the Thunder completed a dream season with a statement victory, capping off a postseason run that validated their rise from rebuilding project to basketball’s summit.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, already crowned league MVP, led the charge once again with another signature performance. His steady presence powered OKC past a resilient Pacers team that had forced a deciding game with a blowout win in Indiana.
Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton left the game in the first quarter and did not return after re-injuring his calf.
This was the first Finals Game 7 since 2016, and both teams entered chasing a historic NBA title. For Oklahoma City, the championship ends a narrative arc that began with the departure of Kevin Durant and years of patient roster construction.
The Thunder posted a league-best 68–14 record in the regular season and cruised through the first round, sweeping Memphis. They faced their toughest test in the second round against the defending champion Denver Nuggets, winning a bruising seven-game series highlighted by Gilgeous-Alexander’s 35-point, zero-turnover masterpiece in Game 7.
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In the Western Conference Finals, OKC dismantled the Minnesota Timberwolves 4–1 behind the two-way brilliance of Jalen Williams and the defense of Lu Dort and Alex Caruso.
In the Finals, the Thunder and Pacers traded blows, each winning three games. Williams’ 40-point Game 5 performance gave OKC the edge, but Indiana’s Game 6 response set the stage for a classic finale.
On Monday (Sunday in the US), the Thunder made history. The youngest Finals team since the merger is now a champion — proof that the right mix of talent, patience, and belief can still build a winner in today’s NBA.
