Put down your smartphones playing Solitaire. The two greatest words in the NBA have just happened.
Game Seven.
And what a close-out in one of the most competitive and compelling matchups for an NBA Finals in recent times. The Oklahoma City Thunder took home the Larry O’Brien Trophy with a 103–91 win over the Indiana Pacers.
It was such a shame that Tyrese Haliburton went down with an Achilles injury after netting three abyss deep three-pointers to start the game. The Knick killer and Reggie Miller choke artist have been on a one hell of a run since taking Game One in the closing seconds.
Yet, this was supposed to be SGA and OKC’s night, OK?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the second Canadian to win league MVP after Steve Nash’s back-to-back awards, was meant for this moment. He was buzzing as he added a league title to his scoring record and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy to his regular-season one.
His 29 points, twelve assists, and five rebounds helped Oklahoma weather Indiana’s storm—one that still had the “Thunder-taker” of a possessed Pascal Siakam leading the way. Siakam, the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and former NBA champion, is now with your very own Toronto Raptors.
He wouldn’t add another ring to his hand on this night, mind you. It has been a quarter-century since Reggie Miller and the Larry Bird-coached Pacers last reached the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Lakers, resulting in Shaq and Kobe’s first championship in the new millennium.
They are still a little late for the dance, but look at the steps they have made.
The Thunder have their own strengths in their first finals appearance since Seattle, helped by their defensive leader, Alex Caruso. Not to mention the impressive Jalen Williams (the lightning to SGA’s thunder), who scored 20 points, and glue guys like Canada’s Lu Dort.
Oklahoma needed this. The former Seattle Supersonics franchise and the city that now houses them have been through it ever since they gave a place for the New Orleans Hornets to reside following their displacement after Hurricane Katrina.
Losing their original big-three of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Then, trying to forge another one with Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and Victor Oladipo.
What could have been with Domantas Sabonis, what almost wasn’t with Chet Holmgren—you best believe the young big fella came up big on the block in this series.
Up by as much as 22 after Hali’s exit (although he stuck around to support his squad), Oklahoma was ready to bring a chip home. The Pacers stormed back to cut it to ten, but the umbrellas remained up.
The Thunder whipped the Wolves, mined the Nuggets, and roared past the Grizzlies to get here. Meanwhile, Indy stopped the Bucks, put a sword in the Cavs, and then took a bite out of New York on the biggest stage of the Big Apple.
Some said that two small-market teams couldn’t carry a championship series. Well, this one went the full seven and was hoops heaven from the basketball gods.
No King, Ant-Man, or Joker out west? No problem! We now have a Canadian champion ready to take the gold from LA the next time the Olympics rolls around.
Then Alexander’s war chest will be complete.
Thunder all the way up!
