OKLAHOMA CITY FINALLY GETS AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

NBA.COM

The Indiana Pacers fought hard, but the odds quickly stacked against them. Tyrese Haliburton went down with a first-quarter injury. The Oklahoma City Thunder exploded with a 22-point third-quarter lead. TJ McConnell had a wild, double-edged performance. And the raucous OKC crowd wouldn’t let up.

In the end, the Thunder finally captured their first-ever NBA championship.

Well, technically, it's their franchise's second.

Just don't tell that to the people of Seattle.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as expected, led the way. But this isn’t just about SGA—this is a team that’s built different. Chet Holmgren protected the paint against Pascal Siakam. Lu Dort turned in a defensive masterclass through relentless rebounding and timely steals. And Jalen Williams, after a quiet first half, caught fire when it mattered most.

At one point, the cameras cut to Sam Presti for a full 15 seconds, watching the monster he created. This was the real "Trust the Process" moment. When Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka walked away, Presti didn’t panic. He rebuilt. He planned.

And now, he's delivered.

Yes, the Thunder will eventually face the question of how to pay all these young stars, but for now, the result speaks volumes. SGA ends this season as the scoring champ, regular season MVP, Western Conference Finals MVP, Finals MVP, and—most importantly—a champion.

The more accolades he racks up, the worse the Paul George trade looks in hindsight.

As for Indiana, the pain might just be beginning. If Haliburton's injury turns out to be a torn Achilles, he could miss a full year. We've seen how that story goes—Kevin Durant missed a season, and Derrick Rose was never the same. Yes, the D-Rose injury was different, but Haliburton still gambled on his health, because it's not like he had a choice. Anyway, Indiana's Cinderella Finals run was magical, but now the Pacers need more just to return to playoff contention. And without their 2025 first-round pick (traded to New Orleans), the help won’t be coming from the lottery.

Their next pick?

55th.

Hmmm.

McConnell sparked a third-quarter surge with fearless drives, but the rest of the team stood around watching. Once Cason Wallace replaced Alex Caruso, the Pacers settled for jumpers. Myles Turner started strong when OKC’s threes weren’t falling, but as Jalen Williams caught fire and Turner stopped getting touches, his impact faded. Andrew Nembhard played heavy minutes but couldn’t find his rhythm. Pascal Siakam looked dangerous in the first half but became more decoy than threat in the second. Benedict Mathurin showed signs of life late—but it was too little, too late.

Meanwhile, OKC’s dominance continues to echo from the Paul George trade. They also got picks No. 15 and 24 from that very deal. While other teams sacrificed the future for short-term superteams, Presti did the opposite, and now, the future is the present.

How those other picks pan out remains to be seen, but knowing Presti, they’ll be flipped or developed into something special. So here’s a well-earned congrats to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

They’ve earned every bit of this title run.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to COMC to stock up on Shai cards.

That folder’s about to get legendary.