{"id":23122,"date":"2025-06-23T00:33:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T05:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/?p=23122"},"modified":"2025-06-23T00:33:02","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T05:33:02","slug":"gilgeous-alexander-leads-thunder-to-nba-title-with-29-points","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/2025\/06\/23\/gilgeous-alexander-leads-thunder-to-nba-title-with-29-points\/","title":{"rendered":"Gilgeous-Alexander Leads Thunder to NBA Title with 29 Points"},"content":{"rendered":"

NBA Title Win<\/h1>\n

Introduction to the Championship<\/h2>\n

OKLAHOMA CITY \u2014 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court for the final time this season, collapsed into the arms of coach Mark Daigneault and finally smiled.
\nIt was over.
\nThe climb is complete. The rebuild is done. The Oklahoma City Thunder are champions.<\/p>\n

The Road to Victory<\/h2>\n

The best team all season was the best team at the end, bringing the NBA title to Oklahoma City for the first time. Gilgeous-Alexander finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers \u2014 who lost Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes \u2014 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.
\n\u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel real,\u201d said Gilgeous-Alexander, the Finals MVP. \u201cSo many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. It\u2019s crazy to know that we\u2019re all here, but this group worked for it. This group put in the hours and we deserve this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Key Players’ Contributions<\/h3>\n

Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished off a season for the ages. Oklahoma City won 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Bulls for third most in any season. Only Golden State with 88 in 2016-17 and the Bulls with 87 in 1995-96 won more.<\/p>\n

Franchise History<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s the second championship for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979; the team was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. There\u2019s nothing in the rafters in Oklahoma City to commemorate that title.
\nIn October, a championship banner is finally coming. A Thunder banner.
\n\u201cThey behave like champions. They compete like champions,\u201d Daigneault said. \u201cThey root for each other\u2019s success, which is rare in professional sports. I\u2019ve said it many times and now I\u2019m going to say it one more time. They are an uncommon team and now they\u2019re champions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Opposition’s Standpoint<\/h3>\n

The Pacers led 48-47 at the half even after losing Haliburton to what his father said was an Achilles tendon injury about seven minutes into the game. But they were outscored 34-20 in the third quarter as the Thunder built a 13-point lead and began to run away.
\n\u201cDeflated, but proud of everything we\u2019ve accomplished,\u201d Pacers guard TJ McConnell said.
\nBennedict Mathurin had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, which still is waiting for its first NBA title. The Pacers \u2014 who were 10-15 after 25 games and were bidding to be the first team in NBA history to turn that bad of a start into a championship \u2014 had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the series, but they simply didn\u2019t have enough in the end.<\/p>\n

Historical Context<\/h2>\n

Home teams improved to 16-4 in NBA Finals Game 7s. And the Thunder became the seventh champion in the last seven seasons, a run of parity like none other in NBA history.
\nPacers forward Pascal Siakam was part of the Toronto team that won in 2019, Thunder guard Alex Caruso was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won in the pandemic \u201cbubble\u201d in 2020, Milwaukee won in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Pacers forward Thomas Bryant and Denver prevailed in 2023, and Boston won last year\u2019s title.
\nAnd now, the Thunder get their turn. The youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century has reached the NBA mountaintop.
\nThe Thunder are the ninth franchise to win a title in NBA Commissioner Adam Silver\u2019s 12 seasons. His predecessor, David Stern, saw eight franchises win titles in his 30 seasons as commissioner.<\/p>\n

Post-Game Reflections<\/h2>\n

\u201cIt really hurts on the one hand,\u201d Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. \u201cOn the other hand, this team has given all of Pacer Nation something to be very proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship win marks a historic moment for the franchise and the city. With their youngest team in nearly half a century, they have proven their strength and dedication, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s outstanding performance. This title win is a culmination of hard work, perseverance, and teamwork, inspiring fans and setting a new standard for the team’s future.<\/p>\n

FAQs<\/h2>\n