Oklahoma City Thunder Win First NBA Championship With Dominant Defense in Game 7 Victory Over Pacers
- Victor Nwoko
- Jun 23
- 3 min read
The Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their first NBA title in franchise history with a 103-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night. Powered by their league-best defense and a standout performance from Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder cemented their place in basketball history.
Oklahoma City, which led the NBA in defensive rating during both the regular season and the playoffs, smothered Indiana in the series finale. The Thunder held the Pacers to just 41.4% shooting—well below Indiana’s 48.4% postseason average—while forcing 21 turnovers and swatting away eight shots.
“You have to really grind it out,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “It’s an endurance race. You have to be able to win in the mud, win ugly, and gut it out. That’s what we did.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again led the charge on offense, while Oklahoma City’s defense overwhelmed Indiana at nearly every turn. With an average team age of just 25.68 years, the Thunder became the youngest NBA champions since the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers.
Chet Holmgren anchored the interior defense with five blocks—setting a record for most blocks in an NBA Finals Game 7 since blocks became an official stat in 1973-74.
“Honestly, I never really play for records or stats,” Holmgren said. “But us winning is forever. It’s immortal. I’m just so happy we were able to do that together as a team.”
Guards Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace each recorded three steals, contributing to a relentless perimeter defense that disrupted Indiana’s rhythm all night.
The Pacers suffered a major setback early, losing All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton to a lower right leg injury in the first quarter. Despite the loss, Bennedict Mathurin kept Indiana competitive, posting 24 points and 13 rebounds.
Veteran guard TJ McConnell added 16 points on 8-for-13 shooting, using his trademark craftiness to challenge the Thunder’s defense. However, he also committed seven turnovers.
“Their pressure can really get to you,” McConnell admitted. “I was trying to be aggressive, but had some uncharacteristic turnovers. Credit to OKC—they’re just really good.”
Pascal Siakam, who had been a consistent threat throughout the Finals, was limited to 16 points on 5-for-13 shooting as the Thunder threw multiple defensive looks at him.
Lu Dort, who earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors this season, praised the Pacers’ resilience but emphasized the Thunder’s focus on disruption.
“They’re a great team with great players,” Dort said. “We tried different stuff to mess them up and slow them down. We just kept throwing different defensive schemes at them.”
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt celebrated the historic achievement, calling it “one of the biggest moments in city history.”
“We’ve achieved sports immortality,” Holt said. “That will open doors in our community far beyond basketball for years, even decades to come. It’s a very special day we can build upon forever.”
Comments