After winning the NBA Basketball Championship, Oklahoma City Thunder players celebrate with a game 7 win against the Indiana Pacers Sunday 22 June 2025 in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City de Oklahoma City Thunder won their first NBA title with a heavy dose of an old standby- their stingy defense.
The Thunder, who led the competition in a defensive rating in the regular season and the play-offs, yielded another jewel in game 7 of the NBA Finals, a victory of 103-91 over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday evening. Oklahoma City kept the pacers at 41.4% shooting in the decisive match, far below 48.4% Indiana -shot in the play -offs in general. The Thunder forced 21 sales and blocked eight shots.
Read: NBA Finals: Thunder Win Title, Overcoming Pacers in Game 7
“You really have to grind it,” said Thunder -coach Mark Daigneault. “It is a endurance race. You have to be able to win in the mud. You have to be able to win ugly, it must be able to exclude. That is what we did. The team has done that incredibly.”
The defensive effort, combined with another strong offensive performance by Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, put Oklahoma City over the top. The Thunder became the youngest NBA champions since the Portland Trail Blazers from 1976-77, with an average age of 25.68 years.
“It is one of the greatest moments in city history,” said mayor of Oklahoma City, David Holt. “We have achieved sports immortality, and that will open doors for years in our community that go for years further than basketball, decades. It is a very, very special day that we can build on forever.”
Chet Holmgren led at the front with five blocks, the most by a player in an NBA Finals Game 7, because blocks were first recorded in the 1973-74 season.
“To be honest, I never really play for records,” said the 7-foot-1 ahead. “I never play for statistics. All that will be forgotten. But winning is forever. It is immortal. I am just so happy that we were able to do that together as a team.”
Read: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: NBA Champ, Finals MVP, Score King
Thunder Guards Lu Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace each had three Steals.
Indiana played the majority of the game without guard Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered an injury on the right leg in the first quarter. Bennedict Mathurin did his best to help the Pacers stay in the game with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
Another spectacular effort by veteran TJ McConnell prevented the swarming defense of Oklahoma City from being even more dominant. McConnell scored 16 points on 8-out-13 shooting, confusing Thunder defenders confusing with cunning movements around the basket.
But he also had seven sales.
Read: NBA Finals: Tyrese Haliburton leaves Game 7 with apparent Achilles injury
“You can really achieve their pressure, but I just tried to be aggressive and had some unmanageable turnover, but that happens,” said McConnell. “Just proud of the fight. We fought until the end. Credit at OKC. They are just really good.”
Pascal Siakam, who had caused problems for the Thunder during the series, was held up to 16 points on 5-out-13 shooting.
Dort, a selection of the first team for all defense, gave Indiana the honor for hanging tough.
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“I mean, they are a great team,” he said. “They have great players. I feel that we just tried different things to ruin them and to disturb them. We have thrown them many different defensive things. We just tried to slow them.”
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