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ESPN Makes Major Announcement After Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 5:07 PM ET

The NBA season came to an end on Sunday as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers faced off against each other in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Early on, it was a tightly contested game as the Pacers were able to stay with the Thunder throughout the first half despite losing star guard Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles in the first quarter.

The second half was a different story though, as the Thunder were able to dominate their way, especially on the defensive end, to a 103-91 victory to win the NBA championship.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for the Thunder with 29 points, five rebounds and 12 assists en route to being named Finals MVP after the victory.

Jalen Williams also put together an incredible performance with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists while Chet Holmgren added 18 points, eight rebounds and five blocks of his own.

It was a great moment for Oklahoma City as they clinched their first championship since the franchise relocated and they were also able to cap off their dominant season with a title.

On Monday, ESPN made a major announcement regarding Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers.

ESPN announced that Sunday’s Game 7 was the most watched NBA Finals game in the last six years with an average audience of 16.4 million viewers.

ESPN announces that the Pacers-Thunder Game 7 was the most watched NBA Finals game in 6 years with an average audience of 16.4 million viewers
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) June 23, 2025

This is a great sign for both ESPN and the NBA, especially with many wondering how Finals viewership would be with two small market teams battling it out for a championship.

Clearly it did not matter that the two teams were small markets as it was the most watched Finals game in the past six seasons as fans tuned in to see a new champion be crowned.

Of course, the Thunder and Pacers combined for an exciting series with Oklahoma City coming out on top and with their young core and amount of assets, it may not be the last time the Thunder will be competing for a championship over the next handful of seasons.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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