What was expected to be a blowout series turned into a tight, seven-game set that came down to the final few minutes of the fourth quarter. The Thunder were favorites, not just in the NBA Finals, but all season long.
At last, Oklahoma City has won the NBA championship, defeating Indiana 103-91 in Game 7. It’s the franchise’s first title since moving to Oklahoma City and the second overall (1979).
It didn’t come without a late comeback from the Pacers. Indiana trailed by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter, but it cut the lead to as little as 10. It couldn’t quite close the gap, especially with Tyrese Haliburton suffering a lower-leg injury in the first quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was at the epicenter of the Thunder’s success. The 2024-25 MVP had 29 points, 12 assists and one turnover in Game 7 as he won the Finals MVP award. He averaged 31.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game on 44.3% from the field in the NBA Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander joins an exclusive club of players who have won regular season and Finals MVP in the same season. LeBron James is the latest player to do so in 2012 and 2013. Here’s the full list of the company Gilgeous-Alexander is joining
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2025)
- LeBron James (2012, 2013)
- Tim Duncan (2003)
- Hakeem Olajuwon (1994)
- Michael Jordan (1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)
- Magic Johnson (1987)
- Moses Malone (1983)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971)
- Willis Reed (1970)
DraftKings Sportsbook listed Gilgeous-Alexander as a -600 favorite to win the NBA Finals MVP ahead of NBA Finals.