Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles the ball defended by Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) in the third quarter during Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Five-time Grammy winner's curse may have struck Thunder in Game 6

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 12:15 AM ET

Hold on, the Oklahoma City Thunder are going home after the Indiana Pacers throttled them in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

At Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the Pacers beat the Thunder, 108-91, forcing a Game 7 in Oklahoma City on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Perhaps the famous rapper Drake is to blame for the Thunder's loss.

On his Instagram story Wednesday, Drake posted he bet $800K — $600K on the moneyline and $200K on the margin of victory — on the Thunder to win Game 6 (h/t Bleacher Report betting). Many Thunder fans probably wish the five-time Grammy winner hadn't done that.

DRAKE DROPPED $800K ON OKC IN GAME 6

- $600K on Thunder ML
- $200K on Thunder by 6-10

️ 'Check that box Shai'

(via @Drake) pic.twitter.com/hzuunH60ol
— br_betting (@br_betting) June 19, 2025

For years, teams that Drake has placed bets on have regularly lost big games.

Per SportsLine, he placed $100K on the Duke Blue Devils to beat the North Carolina Tar Heels in the 2022 men's Final Four. Duke lost to North Carolina, 81-77, despite ESPN Analytics giving it a 69.5% chance to win entering the game.

According to CBS Sports' Chris Bengel, in May, the Canadian bet $1M on the Toronto Maple Leafs to beat the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series. The Panthers crushed the Maple Leafs, 6-1.

It seems the "Drake curse" struck the Thunder. Against Indiana, star Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points but committed eight turnovers.

The Thunder also had no answer for Pacers guard T.J. McConnell, who stepped up with fellow guard Tyrese Haliburton dealing with a right calf strain. McConnell scored 12 points off the bench and had nine rebounds, six assists and four steals.

The Thunder, of course, have one more chance to win their first championship in Oklahoma City. But they may want to convince the "Certified Lover Boy" to bet on Indiana in Game 7 instead.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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