The Oklahoma City Thunder and Ousmane Dieng completed a historic season on Sunday, defeating the Indiana Pacers 103–91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to capture the franchise’s first championship since relocating from Seattle in 2008.
League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 29 points and 12 assists in front of a raucous crowd at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander was also named Finals MVP, becoming the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2002 to win the scoring title, regular-season MVP and Finals MVP in the same season.
The Pacers suffered a major setback early in the game when star point guard Tyrese Haliburton went down with an apparent Achilles injury midway through the first quarter. The two-time All-Star had already hit three three-pointers before slipping and falling, leaving the court in tears as team medical staff assisted him to the locker room. He did not return to the game.
Despite the loss of their leader, Indiana remained competitive through a physical second quarter and even carried a one-point lead into halftime thanks to a strong defensive effort.
However, Oklahoma City seized control in the third quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander—who had missed all five of his three-point attempts in the first half—sparked the surge with a deep 25-foot three-pointer four minutes into the period.
The Pacers had built a reputation for dramatic comebacks throughout the postseason, but without Haliburton they struggled to mount another rally. The Thunder effectively sealed the win by opening the fourth quarter with a decisive 9–0 run.
The championship capped a remarkable season for Oklahoma City, which finished the regular season with a 68–14 record—tied for the fifth-most wins in a single season in the National Basketball Association. Dieng, the French-Senegalese forward, didn’t see much action in the finals but was able to get on the court for the final minute of the game.
To force Game 7, Indiana had defeated the Thunder 108–91 in Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. In that victory, Cameroon’s Pascal Siakam recorded a double-double while six Pacers players scored in double figures.
But in the decisive Game 7, Siakam faced constant double- and triple-teams after Haliburton’s injury, limiting his impact as the Thunder defense closed out the series to secure the title.
