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Thunder capture first NBA championship in Game 7 vs. Pacers
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- Thunder capture first NBA championship in Game 7 vs. Pacers
The post Thunder capture first NBA championship in Game 7 vs. Pacers appeared first on ClutchPoints .
For the first time in Oklahoma City Thunder history, they can finally call themselves NBA champions.
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With suffocating defense and the leadership of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor, the Thunder ended the team's title drought on Sunday night, as they defeated the Indiana Pacers at home in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals to the tune of a 103-91 score.
Before Sunday, the Thunder had not won an NBA title since it inherited the NBA franchise from the Seattle Supersonics in 2008. Oklahoma City went to the NBA Finals in 2012, but the young Thunder of Kevin Durant , Russell Westbrook and James Harden lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat .
But that's in the past now, as the Thunder have a Larry O'Brien Trophy of their own to celebrate with.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player, punctuated his incredible season with a stellar performance in Oklahoma City's title-clinching victory. The former Kentucky Wildcats star led all scorers with 29 points and 12 assists to go with five rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Although he shot just 8-for-27 from the floor, he was 11-for-12 from the free-throw line and was a plus-11 overall.
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Meanwhile, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren pumped in 20 and 18 points, respectively . The Thunder's defense made life harder than it already was for the Pacers, who lost Tyrese Haliburton to injury early in the contest. Oklahoma City forced 23 Pacers turnovers and converted those miscues into 32 points. Indiana, on the other hand, only had eight points off the eight OKC turnovers.
The Thunder overcame a painful start to the 2025 NBA Finals, as they suffered a 111-110 loss in Game 1 following Haliburton's game-winning jumper. Oklahoma City rebounded by winning three of the next four games before the Pacers forced Game 7 with a 108-91 Game 6 win in Indiana.
On their way to the NBA Finals, the Thunder swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, outlasted the Denver Nuggets in the second round and took care of business against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals.
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