Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court docket for the ultimate time this season, collapsed into the arms of coach Mark Daigneault and at last smiled.
It was over.
The climb is full. The rebuild is completed. The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder are champions.
One of the best staff all season was the perfect staff on the finish, bringing the NBA title to Oklahoma Metropolis for the primary time. Gilgeous-Alexander completed off his MVP season with 29 factors and 12 assists, and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers — who misplaced Tyrese Haliburton to a critical leg damage within the opening minutes — 103-91 in Recreation 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday evening.
“It doesn’t feel real,” mentioned Gilgeous-Alexander, the Finals MVP. “So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. It’s crazy to know that we’re all here, but this group worked for it. This group put in the hours and we deserve this.”
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Jalen Williams scored 20 factors and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who completed off a season for the ages. Oklahoma Metropolis received 84 video games between the common season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season.
Solely Golden State (88 in 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 in 2015-16) received extra.
It’s the second championship for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics received the NBA title in 1979; the staff was moved to Oklahoma Metropolis in 2008. There’s nothing within the rafters in Oklahoma Metropolis to commemorate that title.
In October, a championship banner is lastly coming. A Thunder banner.
“They behave like champions. They compete like champions,” Daigneault mentioned. “They root for each other’s success, which is rare in professional sports. I’ve said it many times and now I’m going to say it one more time. They are an uncommon team and now they’re champions.”
The Pacers led 48-47 on the half even after shedding Haliburton to what his father mentioned was an Achilles tendon damage about seven minutes into the sport. However they have been outscored 34-20 within the third quarter because the Thunder constructed a 13-point lead and commenced to run away.
Julio Cortez / AP
“Deflated, but proud of everything we’ve accomplished,” Pacers guard TJ McConnell mentioned.
Bennedict Mathurin had 24 factors and 13 rebounds for Indiana, which nonetheless is ready for its first NBA title. The Pacers — who have been 10-15 after 25 video games and have been bidding to be the primary staff in NBA historical past to show that dangerous of a begin right into a championship — had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 within the collection, however they merely didn’t have sufficient ultimately.
House groups improved to 16-4 in NBA Finals Recreation 7s. And the Thunder turned the seventh champion within the final seven seasons, a run of parity like none different in NBA historical past.
Pacers ahead Pascal Siakam was a part of the Toronto staff that received in 2019, Thunder guard Alex Caruso was a part of the Los Angeles Lakers staff that received within the pandemic “bubble” in 2020, Milwaukee received in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Pacers ahead Thomas Bryant and Denver prevailed in 2023, and Boston received final yr’s title.
And now, the Thunder get their flip. The youngest staff to win a title in almost a half-century has reached the NBA mountaintop.
The Thunder are the ninth franchise to win a title in NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s 12 seasons. His predecessor, David Stern, noticed eight franchises win titles in his 30 seasons as commissioner.
“It really hurts on the one hand,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned. “On the other hand, this team has given all of Pacer Nation something to be very proud of.”
