Mandatory Credit: Julio Cortez-Pool Photo via Imagn Images

2025 NBA Finals Game 7: Ecstasy for Thunder, Agony for Pacers as Thunder Wins First NBA Championship in OKC Era

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was declared the 2025 NBA Finals MVP.

Mandatory Credit: Julio Cortez-Pool Photo via Imagn Images

Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to clinch the first ever NBA championship since relocating from Seattle. This is the first ever NBA championship for Oklahoma City, a city who waited for years to become the basketball champion. Indiana Pacers, who made into the finals after a long gap of 25 years, faced a heartbreak in the championship game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all the scorers with 29 points and 12 assists. Jalen Williams chipped in 20 points and Chet Holmgren added 18. Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace also recorded in double figures off the bench. For the Pacers, Mathurin added a double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds, while T.J. McConnell had 16 off the bench.

THE MOMENT THE OKC THUNDER BECAME NBA CHAMPIONS 🤩⚡ pic.twitter.com/jqxefzjn3h
— ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2025

Also Read: Tyrese Haliburton Injury Update – What Happened to Tyrese Haliburton in the NBA Finals? When Will He Return to the Court?

Second-Half Brilliance Guides Thunder to Become Youngest NBA Champions

It was a tough night for the Indiana Pacers as they lost their star player, Tyrese Haliburton due to an Achilles injury after logging out for just 7 minutes. Despite all this, Pacers controlled the Thunder’s pace and had a 48-47 lead at halftime. However, the third quarter proved decisive for Oklahoma City as they outscored Indiana 34-20 to take a 13-point lead in the game.

Thunder went 11-2 run in the end of the third quarter which helped them to counter Pacers. Indiana looked in pressure in the final quarter but they tried hard with a 9-1 surge in the middle of the period. However, it couldn’t help the Pacers as Oklahoma City survived the late scar and sealed the game 103-91.

The Thunder won the turnover battle, 21-7 while securing 14 steals. The result was a 32-10 lead in points off turnovers for the Oklahoma City. However, the OKC went 27.5% from three-point range compared to Pacers’ 39.35 shooting. The turnover game pushed them ahead in the game. Thunder also outscored the Pacers 40-26 in the paint.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was declared the 2025 NBA Finals MVP. It was a dominating season for the Canadian star, who made a history by becoming the Finals MVP alongside season MVP. He was also named the Western Conference finals MVP. He led Thunder to win 68 games in the season and led all the scorers in the championship run.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the 2025 NBA Finals MVP! pic.twitter.com/odn5kESjkA
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2025

“It doesn’t feel real,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN after the game. “So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. 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 franchise won the NBA championship after the long wait of 46 years since their win as Seattle Supersonics in 1979. This season, OKC dominated with a franchise-record 68-14 regular-season record and a league-best point differential of 12.9, surpassing the 1971-72 Lakers’ mark.

Mandatory Credit: Julio Cortez-Pool Photo via Imagn Images

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.