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Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) and Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) jump at the opening tip-off for Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Recapping OKC Thunder's 2025 NBA Finals Against Indiana Pacers

Originally posted on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI
By Ethan Baca | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 6:02 PM ET

The 2025 NBA Finals showcased two teams with contrasting paths that prided themselves on the same values.

The Oklahoma City Thunder possessed a steady superstar scorer, relentless defense, quality depth and approached each challenge with the same focus. The Indiana Pacers brought a cerebral superstar playmaker, an unselfish offense, endless depth and more effort than everyone standing in their way. Both squads boasted intense home atmospheres and small-market grit, knowing they belonged on the biggest possible basketball stage with an opportunity to secure their franchise's inaugural title.

Oklahoma City had racked up 80 total wins entering the Finals, beating the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies and No. 6 Timberwolves in nine combined games. Indiana did not reach the same regular-season heights, even including a strong second half, but it advanced past three intimidating Eastern Conference foes without playing an elimination contest.

The No. 4 Pacers won 18 fewer regular-season games and finished with a -10.6 lower regular-season net rating than the No. 1 overall Thunder — the most lopsided playoff series, let alone Finals, on paper since the 2019-20 Milwaukee Bucks shredded the Orlando Magic in five first-round games.

However, David was far closer to Goliath than those numbers suggested.

The playoff Pacers shot 40.1% on 33.4 3-pointers per game and averaged 12.7 turnovers through three series, which were ideal numbers to truncate the Thunder's hyperactive defense. Players like T.J. McConnell (-0.8), Bennedict Mathurin (-1.5) and Obi Toppin (-1.8) provided better postseason impact than their negative regular-season estimated plus-minuses.

Indiana had also won six of eight playoff road battles with a +20 point differential, while Oklahoma City went 4-3 away from home with a -48 point differential.

The underdog made a Game 1 road statement on June 5, executing their fourth miraculous playoff comeback — one in each round — from a nine-point deficit with under three minutes remaining.

Down by a point in the final seconds, Tyrese Haliburton received a short pass from Aaron Nesmith, dribbled up the court and launched a pull-up 21-footer that fell through the net with tenths of a second on the clock. It marked the Pacers' first and only lead all night, which resembled the Thunder's series-opening loss against the Denver Nuggets two rounds prior.

From there, Oklahoma City experienced its second round all over again. It beat Indiana comfortably in Game 2 on June 8, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's efficient 34 points, eight assists and four steals. The Thunder split the following two road contests, as the Pacers dominated Game 3's clutch time on June 11 but gave up a three-possession fourth-quarter lead two days later.

Home-court advantage ultimately decided the series' outcome. The Thunder won Game 5 by 11 points after a late scare and fell behind by 30 points after three quarters in Game 6 on June 19. This gave Oklahoma City another winner-take-all clash at Paycom Center.

Haliburton, who had played through a right calf strain since Game 5's first quarter, suffered a right Achilles tear seven minutes into Game 7. He nailed three long 3-pointers before exiting for good.

Indiana hung on for as long as it could, even leading by a point at halftime, but Oklahoma City opened the floodgates with third-quarter turnovers and shotmaking. Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 29 points and 12 assists, Chet Holmgren registered 18 points and five blocks and the Thunder completed its dream season with a 103-91 victory.

During the 2025 playoffs, Oklahoma City went 11-2 with a +19.9 average point differential at home. It won all seven games with a +16.7 average point differential after losses.

This Finals was the most back-and-forth series across the 2025 postseason. Both teams held two series leads, both teams fought for at least three wins and both teams were separated by 19 total points. The Thunder did not eviscerate the Pacers in any game, as it had done to the three previous opponents. Indiana's elimination Game 6 performance was the matchup's gold standard.

Oklahoma City tallied a higher free throw rate in five games, a lower turnover percentage in four games, a higher offensive rebound percentage in three games and a higher effective field goal percentage in just one game.

The Thunder won the turnover battle in all four home games. It tied the Pacers in Game 4 and lost that category multiple times — as Indiana exhibited the NBA's second-best ball security.

Thunder Player of the Series: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The 2024-25 regular-season scoring champion, regular-season MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP completed his immaculate season with a unanimous Finals MVP. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.3 points on 44.3% shooting, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks in 38.1 minutes per game. He shot 21-for-29 (72.4%) in the restricted area, 41-for-96 (42.7%) on mid-range attempts, 8-for-33 (24.2%) on 3-pointers and 64-for-70 (91.4%) on free throws.

Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers in five of seven games. The seventh-year guard averaged a 6.8 box plus-minus and a 21.8 game score. He posted 38 points in Game 1 — the third-most by a Finals debutant behind 2001 Allen Iverson's 48 points and 1949 George Mikan's 42 points.

Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 31 points on 9-for-21 shooting, 10 assists, four blocks, two assists, two steals and a +9 plus-minus in Oklahoma City's crucial Game 5 win.

Pacers Player of the Series: Pascal Siakam

Siakam, the incoming Eastern Conference Finals MVP, would have picked up additional hardware if the series had flipped. He averaged 19.3 points on 45.4% shooting, 7.7 rebounds (2.3 offensive), 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.3 blocks and just 1.7 turnovers in 33.4 minutes per game. The 31-year-old shot 20-for-27 (74.1%) in the restricted area, 14-for-42 (33.3%) in the mid-range, 10-for-28 (35.7%) from downtown and 37-for-47 (78.7%) at the line.

The ninth-year forward led Pacers scorers in three games and Pacers rebounders twice. Siakam recorded six games with a positive box plus-minus (7.1 average) and a double-digit game score (17.1 average) in all seven games, providing much more consistency than Haliburton or any other teammate.

Siakam finished with 28 points on 15 shots (3-for-6 3-pointers), six rebounds (two offensive), five assists, three steals, two blocks and six turnovers in his team's nail-biting Game 5 defeat.

Memorable Game of the Series: Game 4

Haliburton's Game 1 winner was the most memorable Finals play by far, but the Thunder had to dig deep to effectively save its season three games later.

Indiana won the first quarter by a point, the second quarter by two points and the third quarter by four points. Oklahoma City registered 11 assists on 37 field goals and shot a gruesome 3-for-16 (18.8%) from deep. Each team tallied an identical effective field goal percentage (49.4%) and turnover percentage (14.5%).

As he was throughout the season, Gilgeous-Alexander served as the Thunder's ace in the hole. Immediately after clutch time began, he banked in a scoop layup, swished a catch-and-shoot triple and knocked down an unbalanced baseline jumper in quick succession. The last basket gave Oklahoma City a 104-103 lead with 2:23 remaining — which it did not relinquish.

Six lead changes, 11 ties and the hard-fought late-game execution reflected how important Game 4 was for both sides. The Thunder did not give back home-court advantage before it won the championship.

Individual Performance of the Series: Jalen Williams, Game 5

Gilgeous-Alexander and Siakam produced admirable Game 5 outings, though Oklahoma City's third-year forward stole the show with a career-defining display.

Williams exploded for 40 points on 14-for-25 shooting (3-for-5 3-pointers), six rebounds (one offensive), four assists, a steal, just one turnover and a +14 plus-minus in the Thunder's penultimate playoff win. He racked up eight restricted-area makes and nine made free throws.

Williams averaged 23.6 points on 43.3% shooting, 5.0 rebounds (1.0 offensive), 3.7 assists and 0.9 steals in his Finals debut.

The immovable Thunder outlasted the unstoppable Pacers in a series that could have gone either way. Oklahoma City will forever be in the history books, and Indiana will forever be a giant what-if. Sports' zero-sum nature ensures equivalent success and failure, joy and depression, relief and angst.

The Thunder benefited from deep talent, team-wide buy-in and good fortune last season. Next June's mountaintop looms taller than ever, with more improvement necessary to scale it once more.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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