Thunder move one win from first NBA title in 46 years after holding off Pacers

The Oklahoma City Thunder moved within one win of their first NBA championship in 46 years on Monday night, beating the Indiana Pacers 120–109 in Game 5 of the NBA finals to take a 3-2 series lead.

Jalen Williams erupted for a career playoff-high 40 points, MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points and 10 assists, and the Thunder held off a furious Indiana rally to secure a chance at clinching their first title since 1979 in Game 6 on Thursday in Indianapolis.

It was the 10th time this postseason that Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams combined for more than 70 points in a game. Williams was 14-of-25 from the field and added six rebounds and four assists, including several key buckets late in the fourth as the Thunder weathered a Pacers push.

“That was honestly the same exact game as Game 1,” Williams said. “Learning through these finals, that’s what makes a team good.”

For three quarters, it looked like the Thunder were learning fast. Oklahoma City led by as many as 18 late in the second quarter and carried a 59–45 advantage into half-time. But as they’ve done all postseason, the Pacers clawed back. Indiana, who have has come back from double-digit deficits to win five times during their charmed playoff run, outscored the Thunder 34–28 in the third behind a surge from backup point guard TJ McConnell.

McConnell scored 13 of his 18 points in just under seven minutes of the third period, helping the Pacers cut the deficit to five. Early in the fourth, Pascal Siakam, who finished with 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting, hit a pair of free throws to bring Indiana within four. A minute later, his three-pointer made it 95–93.

But Oklahoma City responded with championship mettle. Gilgeous-Alexander drew contact to get to the line and knocked down key free throws, while Williams drilled a three and a mid-range jumper to extend the lead. Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins also contributed timely buckets off the bench. The Thunder outscored Indiana 25–14 over the next seven minutes to put the game out of reach.

Oklahoma City finished with 14 made threes and connected on over 43% of their attempts from beyond the arc while committing just 11 turnovers. Their defense forced 23 Pacers giveaways leading to 32 points, limiting Indiana to just 11-of-30 from deep.

“That’s a really good team over there,” Williams said of the Pacers. “You just don’t trip into the finals.”

Indiana’s hopes took a devastating hit in the form of star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who appeared to aggravate a lingering lower leg injury in the first quarter. He briefly exited and returned with his calf wrapped, but was largely a non-factor offensively. He finished with four points, all on free throws, while missing all six of his shot attempts. It was the first time in his playoff career he was held scoreless in a half.

Haliburton added seven rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes, but the Pacers never quite looked the same with their floor general hobbled. The Thunder defense, led by Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein, clamped down and turned missed shots into transition opportunities. Oklahoma City scored 17 fast-break points to Indiana’s 13.

Indiana have now lost back-to-back games for the first time since mid-March. It also marks the first time in these playoffs that the Pacers have trailed in a series, having defeated Milwaukee, Cleveland and New York without ever falling behind.

The historical odds now favor Oklahoma City, whose first and only NBA title came in 1979, when the team was known as the Seattle Supersonics. Teams that win Game 5 of an NBA finals tied 2–2 have gone on to win the title 74% of the time. Teams with a 3–2 series lead are 40-9 all-time in finals history.

Game 6 is Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Indiana are 9–1 in the playoffs. Should the Pacers force a winner-take-all Game 7, it will be played Sunday night back in Oklahoma City.