For the first time since moving to Oklahoma City, the Thunder are NBA champions after defeating the Indiana Pacers in Game 7, 103-91, on Sunday night.
OKC was the NBA’s best team all season and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was firmly the league’s best player. In a back-and-forth Finals that featured a little bit of everything, OKC leaned into its defense to claim Game 7.
For the Pacers, an incredible season came to a bitter end as star point guard Tyrese Haliburton left with an Achilles injury in the first quarter and the team narrowly missed out on the franchise’s first NBA title.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander writes his name in the history books
SGA became just the ninth player all-time to win the league MVP, Finals MVP and the Finals in the same season. He capped his stellar season with a double-double of 29 points and 12 assists, while committing just one turnover.
Gilgeous-Alexander was hounded by Andrew Nembhard throughout the series and, while he struggled at times, still stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 30.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals.
There’s little debate left: SGA is the best in the world right now.
