Tied 3-3 after six games, the two teams needed a seventh game to decide the series. The turning point came late in the second quarter when Indiana Pacers' star player, Tyrese Haliburton, suffered an Achilles tendon injury in a non-contact incident. The Pacers' key player left the court in tears of pain and regret. The score at that time was 16-16, with Haliburton having scored 9 points.
Without their most important player, the Pacers could only keep up for the first two quarters, maintaining a deficit of no more than three points. From the middle of the third quarter, the Oklahoma City Thunder accelerated with a stellar performance from this season's NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, along with Jalen Williams and center Chet Holmgren. The trio contributed 67 points, while bench players Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace each added 10.
The Thunder won the third quarter 34-20, creating a 22-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter. They held on despite the Pacers cutting the deficit to 10 points at one stage. This is the Thunder's first title since the team's name change in 2008. Previously known as the Seattle Supersonics, the franchise won one NBA championship in 1979.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lifts the NBA trophy with his teammates at Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, USA on 22/6. Photo: Reuters |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lifts the NBA trophy with his teammates at Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, USA on 22/6. Photo: Reuters
The Thunder's championship was not entirely unexpected. The team was highly regarded and maintained consistency throughout the regular season, finishing first in the Western Conference. Three years ago, the team only won 24 games, but after some successful drafts, their strength quickly improved.
Last season, they reached the conference semifinals, losing 4-2 to the Dallas Mavericks. This season, the Thunder's talented young players gained more experience, winning 68 regular-season games – one of the seven best records in NBA history. Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates then defeated strong opponents: the Memphis Grizzlies (4-0), Denver Nuggets (4-3), and Minnesota Timberwolves (4-1) en route to the finals.
Much of the credit for the Thunder's turnaround goes to CEO Sam Presti, who orchestrated several key player trades. In 2019, he traded the Thunder's then-star player, Paul George, to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and several draft picks. These picks later brought Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to the Thunder, two major stars this season.
After trading Paul George and shocking Thunder fans, Presti wrote to a local newspaper: "The next great Thunder team is out there, we have to focus on the future. It will take time to understand and discipline to maintain".
Thunder fans didn't have to wait long. After six years of rebuilding, Presti led the Thunder to the top with a roster that includes only two players over 27. They are the second-youngest team in NBA history to win a championship, after the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers.
Vy Anh
