In a dramatic series, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers and are the new NBA champions.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the new NBA champions. In a seven-game anthology series, the likes of which hadn't happened since 2016 when LeBron James' Cavaliers defeated Stephen Curry's Warriors, the Western Conference team defeated the Indiana Pacers 103 to 91 and wore the legendary ring for the first time since 1979 when the franchise was based in Seattle, more than 3,200 kilometers away on the West Coast.
The momentum Indiana received from winning Game 6 to force a shootout stalled just five minutes and five seconds into the first quarter. That's when the first dramatic image of the game emerged.
The clock showed 4:55 left in the first quarter of the seventh and decisive game when Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton fell to the floor and grabbed his right calf in a clear gesture of pain.
The Pacers' guard was carrying a sore spot in the area, but this injury was visibly more serious: the man who wears the number 0 on his jersey collapsed while trying to elude an opponent. The image that followed says it all: with a face that demonstrated great suffering, Tyrese began pounding the floor on the verge of tears. Haliburton was helped to the locker room by two assistants, unable to step on his toes.
Prayers up for Tyrese Haliburton. 🙏
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 23, 2025
Indiana tried to honor its leader and went into the locker room trailing 48-47. But things would change in the second half.
The home team began to take control of the game in the third quarter. After outscoring the visitors, Jalen Williams recovered a ball, penetrated the defense, and scored among the Pacers' big men to make it 56-54. It was the beginning of the end for the East.
The Thunder began to pull away. By then, Alex Carusoya had already scored 18 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexaner 22, reaching 25 with a three-pointer. Legntz Dort was right behind him with 19. To top it all off, the skinny 6'11" Chet Holmgren was unstoppable, making five blocks.
You won't pass: Holmgren is 2.16 meters tall and tired of blocking shots in the last game of the NBA Finals. Photo: EFE
The third quarter ended 34-20 for Oklahoma, which left the home team up 12 points and a chance to claim championship status for the first time in their history since they were called the Seattle Supersonics, who won their only ring in 1979.
Clarin
