The Oklahoma City Thunder are NBA champions for the first time since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008. Their last NBA title came in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics. The Thunder clinched the 2025 NBA championship with a 103–91 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7.
Oklahoma City was the best team all season long and proved it when it mattered most. The Thunder won an NBA-best 68 games in the regular season and went 16–7 in the playoffs, needing seven games to get past both the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers.
Game 7 took a dramatic turn when Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered a devastating Achilles tendon injury late in the first quarter. After straining his calf in Game 5, Haliburton played through the pain in Game 6 and came out strong in Game 7, hitting three three-pointers in the opening minutes. But with five minutes remaining in the first quarter, he collapsed to the floor in visible pain while attempting to drive to the basket. Unable to put any weight on his right leg, Haliburton was helped off the court and did not return. He was later diagnosed with a torn right Achilles tendon.
Despite losing Haliburton, Indiana put up a fight and led 48–47 at halftime, but they were unable to maintain that momentum in the second half. The Thunder pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Pacers 34–20, including a 19–2 run that helped build a 22-point lead. Oklahoma City never trailed again and entered the fourth quarter with a double-digit advantage. The run was fueled by suffocating defense. The Thunder forced 21 turnovers, with Chet Holmgren recording five blocks, while Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Jalen Williams all contributed multiple steals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t have his most efficient shooting night, going just 2-of-12 from three-point range. Still, he finished with 29 points, five rebounds, and 12 assists, while hitting 11-of-12 free throws. Gilgeous-Alexander became the first player since LeBron James in 2013 to win both Finals MVP and regular season MVP in the same year. He is also the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to win MVP, Finals MVP, and the NBA scoring title in a single season.
The Pacers entered the series as heavy underdogs but pushed the Thunder to the brink. They held leads of 1–0 and 2–1 and were aiming to become the first team in NBA history to win a championship after starting the season 10–15. In Game 7, Indiana trailed by as many as 22 points in the final quarter but kept fighting to cut the deficit to 10 in the closing minutes. However, despite pulling off several stunning comebacks throughout the playoffs, the Pacers had no miracle left in them. Their final push fell short, and the Thunder held on to secure the championship.
Indiana’s bid for its first NBA title came up just short, while the young and hungry Thunder team finished a historic season as NBA champions.
