NBA Finals: A duo that will become legendary

The Pacers have ripped up plenty of scripts during this postseason run - but not this one. Not the one that might ultimately define the 2025 NBA Finals and crown the Boston Celtics’ successor. Game 5 ended with the kind of thunderbolt that shifts entire series. With the score tied late and nothing obvious on the table, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his Oklahoma City Thunder carved out a win from thin air, a win that felt like more than just another result. It was emotional. It was emphatic. It tilted the entire series.

How the Thunder moved to within a game of the NBA championship

In the story now being written, the momentum is back with the Thunder. What could have been a 3-1 Pacers series lead just 72 hours ago has flipped into a 3-2 Thunder advantage (final score: 120-109), and OKC is suddenly one win from a title that, after a few twists and turns, feels more inevitable by the quarter.

This time, the logic held. The Pacers, true to form, refused to go quietly - what had been a 56–38 Thunder lead shrank to 95–93 with over eight minutes to play - but they left their magic tricks and extra lives back in Indianapolis. Just when they had OKC gripped by nerves and reliving the haunted memories of Game 1, they unraveled in a flurry of turnovers - four straight during crunch time. A two-point deficit ballooned into a 14-point gap (111–97) in a blink.

SGA and Jalen Williams shine, Haliburton posted missing

Shai and Jalen Williams capitalized with a ruthless display that ultimately overwhelmed anything Indiana threw at them.

Pascal Siakam’s solo burst - 12 quick points early in the fourth - was impressive. TJ McConnell’s third-quarter heroics (13 points) nearly dragged the Pacers out of the grave. But none of that mattered. Tyrese Haliburton, limping noticeably on his right leg, was a ghost: four points from the free-throw line, 0-for-6 from the field, six assists, and three turnovers. If he’s going to be on the floor, injured or not, he can’t play that poorly. Not in the Finals.

Pacers forget winning formula, Shai takes over

The Pacers are staring down a long summer filled with “what-ifs” and “if-onlys.” Game 4 was theirs for the taking. Up 10 late in the third quarter, the Thunder looking rattled, and a 3-1 lead within reach. Then came the missed opportunities, poor decision-making, and Shai’s quiet takeover. In the NBA Finals, you don’t get second chances like that, especially when you’re the underdog, the team that has to be perfect just to stay in the fight.

Indiana also can’t afford to collapse like they did in the second quarter of Game 5. Down by 18 at halftime (59–41), they were left needing a miracle. And sometimes miracles happen. But not in back-to-back games in June. Not when OKC plays like this.

For large stretches of this one, the Pacers simply forgot the formula that got them here - sharp execution, fast pace, ball movement.

OKC closing on greatest all-time NBA teams

Meanwhile, the Thunder looked every bit the team destined to lift the trophy. They now have 83 total wins on the season, a number only surpassed by the Warriors during the Steph Curry dynasty and Jordan’s ’96 Bulls. They’ve got two chances to win one more, starting Thursday night in Indianapolis. And here’s a stat that looms large: OKC has yet to lose back-to-back games this postseason.

So what changed between Game 4 and the first half of Game 5? Simple: everything. And we mean everything.

Back in their comfort zone, the Thunder returned to their elite, historic-level form. That comeback win in Indiana - despite shooting 3-for-16 from three and recording only 11 assists - now looks like the defining moment of this series. It made no statistical sense, but Shai’s late-game heroics salvaged a win that restored OKC’s universe to order. They nullified Haliburton’s Game 1 buzzer-beater miracle, and now they’re a team in full control.

The only question now: do the Pacers have one last rally in them? If they can’t summon the fire and consistency they lacked for most of Game 5, this series - and their season - will be over in Game 6.

Thunder dominate Game 5 in all areas

That 18-point halftime deficit told the story. The Pacers had 11 turnovers in the first half alone. The Thunder turned those into a 15–1 advantage in points off giveaways. By the final buzzer, that margin had grown to 23–11 in turnovers, and a devastating 32–9 edge in points off them.

OKC outshot Indiana from three (8–17 to open), dominated in transition (12–0 in the first half), and led in paint scoring (22–18) and bench points (20–16). They had 16 assists before halftime - five more than they tallied in all of Game 4 - and doubled Indiana in both steals and blocks.

And still, Indiana fought back. Because that’s who they are. But this time, it wasn’t enough. The Thunder let the rope slip a little - too much iso, not enough off-ball movement - but they held on. The Pacers’ rally wasn’t a turning point. If anything, it felt like a final test passed by a Thunder team learning to exorcise its own demons.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams’ decisive numbers

Chet Holmgren anchored the defense with a monstrous 15 steals and 12 blocks, an NBA Finals first. Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in with smart passing and relentless rebounding. Lu Dort and Alex Caruso pushed the limits of physicality on defense. Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins combined for 7-of-11 from deep.

But this was Shai’s and Jalen’s night.

Shai ran the show with 31 points, 10 assists, 4 blocks. If OKC wins one more game, he’ll cap a near-perfect season with a Finals MVP trophy and a legacy-defining ring. Jalen Williams, last year’s postseason scapegoat, may have just delivered the game of his life: 40 points (14-for-25 shooting), 6 boards, 4 dimes. He’s only 24, and if he keeps playing like this, good luck stopping OKC.

Pacers’ first championship: a real chance or wishful thinking?

The Pacers didn’t get blown out. And that matters - kind of. They still have a chance to force Game 7, to turn Sunday into chaos. But whether that possibility is a real opportunity or just wishful thinking depends on how they respond to their first back-to-back losses since March 10, and their first deficit in any series this postseason.

One stat looms over everything: when the Pacers score at least 110 points in these playoffs, they’re undefeated (14–0). When they don’t? They’re winless (0–7).

Thursday night in Indy, then, could be season-defining. Championship-defining.

OKC went into Game 5 two wins away from glory. Now they’re one. That’s all that matters now.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.