NBA Finals Film Room: How the Thunder Outlasted the Pacers

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 4-3 in the 2025 NBA Finals to capture the franchise’s first title. Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named Finals MVP.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on 44/24/91 shooting splits.

Let’s look at how the Thunder won Game 7.

Finals MVP: SGA

Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 29 points and had 12 assists, a playoff career-high. 

While he shot a poor 8-of-27 (29 percent) from the floor, it’s common for superstar players to shoot below their average in a Game 7 of the Finals.

In Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, LeBron James shot 9-of-24 (37 percent), and Kobe Bryant shot 6-of-24 (25 percent) in the 2010 Finals.

Gilgeous-Alexander rejects the screen and catches his defender leaning towards it, giving him the advantage.

The MVP drives into the lane, lets his defender fly by and plants his right foot to hop off it and knock down a routine pull-up jumper.

His last dribble is a hard-punch dribble before pulling up for a 3-pointer. That shot is always there for him since defenders are going to play his drives and give him a softer closeout.

Here’s another one of Gilgeous-Alexander’s 12 assists:

The nail defender – the defender at the foul line, shows another body at Gilgeous-Alexander to congest the space. 

Gilgeous-Alexander makes another pass in the air, and it’s a simple read to an open Lu Dort, who makes Indiana pay for helping off him.

OKC went 9-1 in the playoffs when Gilgeous-Alexander racked up eight or more assists.

Holmgren framing a defensive masterpiece

Questions about Chet Holmgren’s lanky frame when he came into the NBA. 

At just 23 years old, Holmgren answered all these questions. 

Holmgren recorded five blocks – the most ever in a Game 7.

On an island, Holmgren opens up his defensive stance, angling his feet to force Andrew Nembhard to drive to his off-hand. 

While Nembhard drives deep into the paint, Holmgren slides his feet and swats a shot right back into Nembhard’s face.

He blows up the entire possession.

Holmgren displays more elite rim protection:

Again, he stays in front of a guard, TJ McConnell, then switches to Aaron Nesmith on the pass and sends a shot back with Nesmith attempting to take a layup from an angle below the net. 

Holmgren made 2-of-18 shots from deep from Game 1 to Game 6. 

On a post-up touch for Gilgeous-Alexander, he drew two defenders. As Gilgeous-Alexander goes up for a shot, he does a terrific job making a pass mid-air and hitting Holmgren right in the shooter’s pocket for a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer. 

Despite playing in 32 regular-season games, he anchored a historic defense throughout the entire postseason. 

Alex Caruso: Unsung hero

Alex Caruso scored 10 points, knocked down a pair of triples and recorded four STOCKS (steals + blocks).

Observe Caruso ignore his man (Bennedict Mathurin), and as soon as Ben Sheppard takes the dribble handoff, Caruso is in the gaps of the drive to poke the ball free for a steal.

As soon as he sees Mathurin’s back turned to him, Caruso makes a 45 cut (cut from the wing). While Caruso misses the initial layup, he stays with it and tips it back in off the glass.

He just makes winning plays.

An all-time defense locks it down

It is chaotic work trying to score on this defense. OKC led the playoff field in defensive rating (105.7), and opponent turnovers per game (18) and was second in opponent field goal percentage (43.3 percent).

Watch OKC force a five-second violation here:

Mathurin is coming off multiple pindown screens – screens from teammates that are facing the basket. 

Isaiah Hartenstein slides off his man briefly to shade towards Mathurin and discourage a pass there. Once Cason Wallace gets over the last screen to stay with Mathurin, Hartenstein shades back towards his original assignment (Thomas Bryant), and by that time, it’s a five-second count on Indiana.

One of their strengths is the ability to cover for each other.

Watch Kenrich Williams. He is the low man— the defender closest to the baseline. Williams sees the drive and runs to trap the box, meaning he positions himself at the charge circle.

Williams comes over to the ball, shows his hands and makes it a difficult shot over the top.

Stuff that doesn’t appear on the stat sheet.

Oklahoma City provided a pair of defensive plays that involved switching.

This is an after timeout play (ATO), so Indiana has a set play drawn up.

Notice at the top of the screen, Williams points out to Caruso to switch on the down screen. Caruso switches assignments and closes out on Mathurin’s 3-point attempt that hits the front rim.

This play starts with a big (Hartenstein) on a guard (McConnell).

As McConnell takes Hartenstein off the dribble, Gilgeous-Alexander is in the gaps and just takes McConnell while Hartenstein slides down to Gilgeous-Alexander’s man. It’s a smart switch, and there’s no advantage for Indiana. 

The play is now a broken play, and Indiana cannot even execute a routine dribble handoff.

Turnover, OKC ball.

How many times have we heard that this season?

One of the most dominant teams in the regular season ever, they captured the title behind their historic defense and also are the second youngest team to win it all. 

Oklahoma City Thunder, 2025 NBA champions.