Canada's Gilgeous-Alexander caps MVP season by leading Thunder past Pacers for 2nd title in franchise history

Tim Reynolds · The Associated Press

· Posted: Jun 22, 2025 10:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, of Hamilton, Ont., walked disconnected the tribunal for the last clip this season, collapsed into the arms of manager Mark Daigneault and yet smiled.

It was over.

The ascent is complete. The rebuild is done. The Oklahoma City Thunder are champions.

The champion squad each play was the champion squad astatine the end, bringing the NBA rubric to Oklahoma City for the archetypal time. Gilgeous-Alexander finished disconnected his MVP play with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder bushed the Indiana Pacers — who mislaid Tyrese Haliburton to a superior limb wounded successful the opening minutes — 103-91 successful Game 7 of the NBA Finals connected Sunday night.

Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished disconnected a play for the ages. Oklahoma City won 84 games betwixt the regular play and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for 3rd astir successful immoderate season.

Only Golden State (88 successful 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 successful 2015-16) won more.

It's the 2nd title for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA rubric successful 1979; the squad was moved to Oklahoma City successful 2008. There's thing successful the rafters successful Oklahoma City to commemorate that title.

In October, a title banner is yet coming. A Thunder banner.

"They behave similar champions. They vie similar champions," Daigneault said. "They basal for each other's success, which is uncommon successful nonrecreational sports. I've said it galore times and present I'm going to accidental it 1 much time. They are an uncommon squad and present they're champions."

WATCH | 4 Canadian players to ticker successful the NBA Finals:

The Pacers led 48-47 astatine the fractional adjacent aft losing Haliburton to what his begetter said was an Achilles tendon wounded astir 7 minutes into the game. But they were outscored 34-20 successful the 3rd 4th arsenic the Thunder built a 13-point pb and began to tally away.

"Deflated, but arrogant of everything we've accomplished," Pacers defender TJ McConnell said.

Home teams improved to 16-4 successful NBA Finals Game 7s. And the Thunder became the seventh champion successful the past 7 seasons, a tally of parity similar nary different successful NBA history.

Pacers guardant Pascal Siakam was portion of the Toronto squad that won successful 2019, Thunder defender Alex Caruso was portion of the Los Angeles Lakers squad that won successful the pandemic "bubble" successful 2020, Milwaukee won successful 2021, Golden State successful 2022, Pacers guardant Thomas Bryant and Denver prevailed successful 2023, and Boston won past year's title.

And now, the Thunder get their turn. The youngest squad to triumph a rubric successful astir a half-century has reached the NBA mountaintop.

The Thunder are the ninth franchise to triumph a rubric successful NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's 12 seasons. His predecessor, David Stern, saw 8 franchises triumph titles successful his 30 seasons arsenic commissioner.

"It truly hurts connected the 1 hand," Pacers manager Rick Carlisle said. "On the different hand, this squad has fixed each of Pacer Nation thing to beryllium precise arrogant of."