Oklahoma City Thunder Win First NBA Championship in Franchise History

Oklahoma City Thunder defeat Indiana Pacers 103-91

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – The Thunder hosted Game 7 on their home floor last night, marking the first Game 7 in an NBA Finals since 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors went the distance.

The Oklahoma City Thunder became a franchise in 2008, having formerly been located in Seattle as the Seattle Supersonics.

The Indiana Pacers remained an underdog the entire playoffs, including their Finals matchup with the No. 1 overall seed in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

However, as the doubters wrote them off, the Pacers came to play and challenged the Thunder to a seven-game series.

Oklahoma City has looked the part all year long, putting forth a 68-14 record over the regular season. This record was just five wins short of tying the best record in NBA history, accomplished by the 2016 Golden State Warriors when they went 73-9.

The Thunder’s record was so impressive that the next-best record in the West was held by the Houston Rockets at 52-30.

All-NBA and MVP Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder; he was exceptional all season long, averaging 32.7 points per game, along with 5.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists.

In the game that mattered most, he stepped up with 29 points and 12 assists, leading OKC to a 103-91 Game 7 victory.

A lot can be made about this game; however, All-Star point guard for the Indiana Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton, after starting the game hot with a quick nine points, planted his right leg to make a drive past the defender and fell.

Grimacing in pain, the crowd was silent as they realized the severity of his injury. Haliburton, being the engine that drove this Pacers team, brought an unforeseen challenge to the Pacers.

Unfortunately, Haliburton would be sidelined for the rest of the game as he tore his Achilles on the scary play. Players such as T.J. McConnell, Pascal Siakam, and Bennedict Mathurin would try to fill the void of losing their top player and point guard, but the defense of the Thunder was just too stifling. The Pacers fought hard and even led by a point going into the half, but the adjustments made by Oklahoma City in the second half proved to be the right ones as they were crowned the 2024-25 NBA Champions.

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