Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder toppled the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to win the franchise’s first-ever NBA title. The game was the perfect capstone to what was a phenomenal season from Gilgeous-Alexander.
Per ESPN, the Thunder set the record for the largest point differential of all time in the regular season, a record that had held for nearly half a century.
Unfortunately for the Thunder, many will remember the game for the devastating injury suffered by star Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
After entering the game at less than 100% due to a calf strain suffered earlier in the series, Haliburton was forced to exit the game in the first quarter with what his father later confirmed was an Achilles injury.
The Pacers were able to stay competitive in the first half and went into halftime with a 48-47 lead. However, the Thunder started to pull away in the third quarter. The Pacers did their best to stage another late-game postseason comeback, but ultimately didn’t have enough gas left in the tank.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. “So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. It’s crazy to know that we’re all here, but this group worked for it. This group put in the hours, and we deserve this.”
Thunder head coach Mike Daigneault spoke on this team’s professional composure.
“They behave like champions. They compete like champions,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “They root for each other’s success, which is rare in professional sports. I’ve said it many times, and now I’m going to say it one more time. They are an uncommon team, and now they’re champions.”
It’ll be interesting to see if the Thunder are able to turn this championship into a modern dynasty.
