The Oklahoma City Thunder are NBA champions.
The Thunder took down the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals 103-91 to win the franchise’s second championship, but first in Oklahoma City.
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The Thunder just completed one of the best seasons of all-timeCredit: Getty
The franchise won the title back in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics.
With the win, the Thunder join rare company.
They are only the third team to win 84-plus games and the title.
The other two teams?
Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls in 1996 and 1997.
And now Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s Thunder.
Speaking of SGA, he took home Finals MVP, after averaging 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
He scored 3,172 points this season, including the playoffs, which is the most by a player since Jordan.
His 2024-2025 season will go down as one of the best ever by a guard.
He was an All-Star, First Team All-NBA, scoring champion, regular season MVP, Western Conference Finals MVP and now Finals MVP.
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The Thunder are NBA championsCredit: Getty
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Oklahoma City finally has their own championCredit: Getty
SGA has become the first player to win Finals MVP and the scoring title since Shaquille O’Neal did it with the Los Angeles Lakers 25 years ago in 2000.
The Thunder had the second best net-rating of all-time and become the second youngest championship team in NBA history.
SGA’s running mate, Jalen Williams had a phenomenal series as well, averaging 23.6 points and 5.0 rebounds, solidifying himself as one of the league’s best number two option.
As for the Pacers, their own historic run comes to an end, just one win shy of winning the franchise’s first ever championship.
Indiana’s star player, Tyrese Haliburton, went down in the first quarter with a scary injury to his lower right leg, and didn’t return.
His status for next season is now up in the air.
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SGA spoke after the game to ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt on Haliburton’s injury.
“Yeah, it was sad,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“I couldn’t imagine playing in the biggest game of my life, playing for everything I’ve ever dreamed of, the highest stage, Game 7 in the NBA Finals, and something unfortunate like that happens.
“It’s unfair. I feel bad for him, pray for him, wish him the best of luck. He’s a hell of a player. His future is super bright. He can do whatever he wants with this league and they’ll be a really good team for a really long time.”
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle gave his franchise player his flowers at his postgame press conference.
“What happened with Tyrese, all of our hearts dropped. But he will be back.” Carlisle said.
“He authored one of the great individual playoff runs in the history of the NBA with dramatic play after dramatic play. It was just something that no one’s ever seen.
“And (he) did it as one of 17 (players). That’s the beautiful thing about him. As great a player as he is, it’s always a team thing.”