The Oklahoma City Thunder secured their first NBA championship on Sunday (June 22) after a 103-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The team was led by the 2024-2025 NBA Most Valuable Player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
It was a hard-fought game for the Thunder as the Pacers kept the game close until the last minute of the fourth quarter. The Pacers' star player, Tyrese Haliburton, suffered a leg injury in the first quarter of Game 7. He never returned to the game.
The Thunder would celebrate the tremendous victory with their hometown crowd, with Game 7 being held in Oklahoma City. The Thunder would don Nike t-shirts with the message “Won For The City.” The Thunder’s leading scorer in Game 7 was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 35 points.
The Thunder held the Pacers to only 41.4 % shooting on field goals. Indiana’s 91 points were the team’s lowest total of the playoffs. OKC’s championship ended the team’s best season in their 17-year history.
Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Champs
Ahead of the victory, the team was 16-7 in the postseason. OKC fans worldwide flooded social media with celebratory comments. “I speak for all OKC fans when I say this championship means nothing after we intentionally injured Haliburton in game 7,” tweets a die-hard fan.
Another fan congratulated the Thunder, tweeting, “Congrats - amazing Game 7, really fun one to watch, incredibly well-deserved.”
Naturally, Pacers fans would weigh-in on the victory with Haliburton claims. They tweeted, “Halliburton would’ve sent you guys to the shadow realm so fast.”
Other fans would explain the Thunder’s chemistry that led to the team’s NBA championship. The analysis broke down the team's drafting history, team building, and gameplay. Overall, patience was the common denominator among fans.
“The Thunder built this from the ground up,” tweets a fan. “Draft capital turned into chemistry, patience turned into poise. This is what happens when a front office plays the long game and trusts player development. A championship made, not bought.”
The Thunder's victory parade has not been announced at this time.
