Thunder on the Brink of NBA Championship: Holding Off Pacers to Win Game 5

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one win away from claiming their first NBA championship since relocating in 2008. After holding off a late comeback attempt by the Indiana Pacers, the Thunder won Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday. The Thunder, who appeared to be heading toward a 3-1 series deficit just three days ago, burst open a double-digit lead to start Game 5 on their home court and held off the Pacers' comeback to win 120-109 and lead the series 3-2. Jalen Williams had a career-making performance, scoring 40 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points and 10 assists. The Thunder's defensive tenacity and offensive heroics were on full display throughout the game, as they held the Pacers to just 30 free throw attempts compared to the Thunder's 26 attempts. Indiana's star guard Tyrese Haliburton played through a nagging injury and finished without a field goal, missing all six of his field-goal attempts. The Pacers' hopes of a comeback were further diminished when Haliburton left the game for treatment on a calf injury. The Thunder's control of the game was evident in the comfort levels of their respective All-Star guards, with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 13 points before halftime to zero for Haliburton. The gap between the teams was also evident in the number of turnovers committed by the Pacers, who had 23 turnovers that the Thunder turned into 32 points. The Thunder can close out the finals and win their first championship since relocating in 2008 as early as Game 6 on Thursday in Indianapolis. It is the first time since March that Indiana has lost consecutive games and the first time at any point during the postseason that they have trailed in a series. (Image: https://www.antiochtenn.com/zb_users/upload/2025/06/20250626152617175092277759801.jpg and https://www.antiochtenn.com/zb_users/upload/2025/06/20250626152617175092277787606.jpg)