NBA finals 2025 Game 7: Thunder beat Pacers to claim title – live updates | NBA finals
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Key events
It's all over!
It’s been a lot of basketball. We had the July Olympics in France, then a marathon season from late October and a postseason that ended on 22 June. Finally, 2024-2025 is in the books and OKC have made history. Now the debates begin about just where this team ranks on the all-time list, which is pretty high considering their dominant regular season and Finals victory.
For nowl you can read all about their Game 7 win right here:
Indiana also deserve a ton of credit, coming within a game of becoming just the second fourth seed to win an NBA title. Would they have pulled it off with a healthy Haliburton on the floor? We’ll never know, but they took a lead into the second half, which was remarkable on its own.
That’ll do it for our live coverage of the NBA Finals – thank you for following along with us. Wherever you are, let’s hope the days to come bring peace.
Trophy time
NBA Commissioner is on the mic, saluting the Pacers before throwing platitudes to the champs and handing the Larry O’Brien trophy to OKC!
Confetti flies, while Sam Presti tells the crowd “The first thing is Oklahoma has a true team…these guys represent all that’s good at a young age. They prioritize winning and they prioritize sacrifice.”
Head Coach Mark Daigneault congratulates Indy and says “this is a dream for everybody here…they behaved like champions and compete like champions…this is an uncommon team and now they’re champions.”
The Bill Russell MVP trophy goes to SGA, who won the scoring title, the MVP and the finals MVP – first time in 25 years according to Silver.
Shai says “This isn’t just a win for me, it’s a win for my friends a win for my family…a win for the fans…it means everything…it’s why you play the sport…we deserve it.”
Busses
OKC survive what could have been one of the most embarrassing gaffes imaginable, while Indy fans have a new rallying cry: “remember the busses!”
When is parade? Very soon for the Thunder.
Sam Presti
OKC’s GM took over in 2007 when the team was still in Seattle, and put together one of the greatest series of transactions we’ve seen in recent memory. After missing out on a crown with Durant, Harden and Westbrook, finally, the all-star exec has that elusive ring with a cast of SGA, Holmgren, Williams and stacks of talent that will keep this club in contention for titles for years to come.
Pacers 91-103 Thunder, Final
That will do it! The Thunder have capped a historic 68-win season with their first NBA title in Oklahoma!
Pacers 89-103 Thunder, :32 4th quarter
The benches are emptied. This is nearly over!
Pacers 87-101 Thunder, :55 4th quarter
Another Indy turnover, as Williams is fouled by Siakam. He hits one of two.
Indy are finally slayed – but you have to wonder what might have been if they had Haliburton on the floor for most of Game 7.
Pacers 87-100 Thunder, 1:26 4th quarter
Williams is fouled by Mathurin as he begins his drive to the basket. He hits both.
This season is on the brink for the Pacers, as the crowd gets ready for their moment.
Pacers 87-98 Thunder, 1:36 4th quarter
SGA on the line after being fouled. He hits both. Surely that’s it – a 12 point lead.
But a silly foul by Caruso on Nembhard who is far from the basket. Crazy foul.
Nembhard can’t capitalize, he hits just one of two.
Pacers 86-96 Thunder, 1:51 4th quarter
Williams misses a three but a huge board by Holmgren who is fouled by Nesmith! He hits one of two.
Indy come back and hit a three! It’s Nembhard! The lead is 10!
But OKC are right back with a Homgren dunk, before Indy answer with a Mathurin layup. Furious pace here as we head to the finish! Time is short…
Pacers 81-93 Thunder, 3:13 4th quarter
OKC are able to inbound. SGA dribbles right, retreats, and fires a pull back three – no good! Rebound Mathurin.
Now a scramble for the ball, and they’ll jump it up with seven on the shot clock.
Holmgren wins the tip – that was important for OKC.
Pacers 81-93 Thunder, 4:11 4th quarter
Indy showing pressure – Caruso can’t find anyone, and OKC have to call time. That’s their last timeout!
A lot of hoops to play with no timeouts.
Pacers 81-93 Thunder, 4:11 4th quarter
Holmgren blocks a driving McConnell – it’s knocked out of bounds, last touch by Indy.
Nesmith blocks Williams – Mathurin in transition, drives and is fouled by SGA! But it could be a travel, or there could be no foul – OKC call time and they’re going to challenge the call.
The call holds up – two shots for Mathurin. He hits both – OKC’s lead is back to 12.
Pacers 77-93 Thunder, 4:34 4th quarter
Nembhard fouls SGA as he pulls up from 10. That’s his third foul. SGA hits both and the lead is back to 14.
Pacers 79-91 Thunder, 4:45 4th quarter
Mathurin drives against Caruso and is able to hit! The lead is down to 12!
Do Indy have one blast left?
Pacers 77-91 Thunder, 5:16 4th quarter
A little 7-0 run here by the Pacers.
Now Dort is driving in the paint and is fouled hard by Siakam. The refs are checking to see if the foul was flagrant. Yes, he was Dort was hit on the head, but no, that is not a flagrant foul.
The refs agree. Two free throws for Dort. He hits one.
On the other end, Mathurin drives and falls hard to the floor after being hit by Dort! That’s an all-Montreal confrontation right there.
Mathurin hits both.
Pacers 75-90 Thunder, 5:57 4th quarter
Nesmith forces a turnover off Williams. Mathurin drives, misses but there’s a foul on SGA. The Montreal native sticks both from the stripe.
Pacers 71-90 Thunder, 6:19 4th quarter
Siakam misses a three, Williams grabs the board and is fouled by Mathurin. Williams is momentarily shaken up but looks to be OK.
The clock is ticking on Indy. If Haliburton was on the floor, OKC would likely be uncomfortable despite the large lead. But without him, Indy are doomed.
Pacers 70-90 Thunder, 6:56 4th quarter
Turner turns it over – that’s the 10th giveaway by Indy this quarter.
Williams misses a three for OKC, Holmgren grabs the board, misses the put back ,but is fouled by Turner. He hits one of two foul shots. The lead gets wider.
Siakam comes back and hits a jumper for the Pacers – that’s Indy’s first points of the fourth quarter, which is absolutely remarkable.
Pacers 68-89 Thunder, 8:27 4th quarter
Siakam misses a three and Mathurin has the board – but Nesmith is done for fouling Caruso.
A possession later, SGA is called for a reach-in foul on Siakam, who is being made to work for whatever he gets.
Stat from ESPN: since 8:32 in the third quarter, only McConnell has scored for Indy. Wow!
OKC have the ball again - SGA feeds Wallace down low and he sticks the layup. Then a possession later, Williams sticks a three after a pass from SGA.
The lead is up to 21, and the party is on in Oklahoma!
Pacers 68-84 Thunder, 11:05 4th quarter
SGA comes into the fourth quarter blasting – a three from the top of the arc. It’s a 16 point lead!
Have Indy finally been slayed?
OKC are challenging a possession call – it looked like last touch by Indy. The Thunder call timeout and will challenge the call on the floor.
Pacers 68-81 Thunder, end of 3rd quarter
SGA pulls up, misses, but Hartenstein is there for the put back. The lead is up to 13.
On the other end, Siakam throws up a desperation shot as the shot clock winds down – it’s not close. OKC have the rebound and that will do it in the third. A HUGE quarter from the Thunder who are finally pulling away as we head to the final frame!
Pacers 68-79 Thunder, :35.7 3rd quarter
McConnell penetrates, flips it up, but somehow it won’t fall. Hartenstein has the rebound and OKC call for time.
Pacers 68-79 Thunder, :54.5 3rd quarter
Off the timeout, McConnell sticks the jumper – that’s 16 points as 19 minutes according to the ESPN broadcast. But Williams has an answer – a jumper from 16 feet. Lead back to 11.
Pacers 66-77 Thunder, 1:43 3rd quarter
Jason Williams is alive! he sinks a layup to put OKC up 11. The crowd are out of their minds as Indy call for time! They smell 2025 championship busses!
Pacers 66-75 Thunder, 2:20 3rd quarter
Clutch three from Wallace from the far corner. Then a Hartenstein block on McConnell on the other end, and now OKC are in transition – Wallace finishes with a layup! A five-point blast from Wallace, and the lead is back up to nine!
Lots of turn overs from Indy in the third. Including a five second violation as McConnell couldn’t find a teammate on the in bound pass!
Pacers 66-70 Thunder, 3:48 3rd quarter
Toppin feeds McConnell who sticks a jumper from the far side! McConnell is unconscious!
Will this become “the McConnell game”?
It’s a four-point game!
Pacers 64-69 Thunder, 4:44 3rd quarter
Indiana won’t die – McConnell drives into the paint and gets a roll!
There’s a Holmgren dunk and now McConnell is right back at it, finishing a drive over Wallace!
The OKC lead is down to six.
Pacers 56-65 Thunder, 7:13 3rd quarter
Holmgren sticks a three and now OKC are up six, their biggest lead of the game.
Then there’s an Indy turnover off a pass by McConnell – now J Williams is launching from downtown…it rattles around, and it’s in! The friendly hometown roll caps a 9-0 OKC run.
Timeout Indiana!
Pacers 56-59 Thunder, 7:52 3rd quarter
Mathurin misses from three, but Nesmith grabs an unlikely offensive rebound and is fouled! Indy keep possession. Now Nembhard drives to the hole and Holmgren gets his arm tangled. The basket is no good, but there’s a whistle. He sticks both free throws.
Now, defense from Indy and a turnover, folloed by a Turner three! Wow! We’re tied again!
Right back the other way, SGA fires – for three! It’s good!
We’ve got NBA action!
Pacers 51-56 Thunder, 9:20 3rd quarter
Now a steal by Williams and he’s off, driving to the basket. He makes his move, is partially blocked on his way down by Nembhard and still manages to finish the layup! How did he do that?
Seems like a Williams resurrection to me.
And it’s OKC by five! Is this it? Is this the moment the Thunder take control?
Pacers 51-54 Thunder, 9:32 3rd quarter
We are back! One half to decide the 2024-2025 NBA season.
Holmgren starts with a layup off an offensive rebound. A possession later, Dort fires a floater as the shot clock is running down. It’s up, high! And it drops in! I think he didn’t even believe it!
But Indy, resilient as ever, have an answer – Siakam from three! Wow!
They never stop.
Make of it what you will…
If Haliburton did indeed tear his Achilles, that would be the 8th Achilles tear of the season. The previous high was 5 (14-15). The total doesn't include Thanasis Antetokounmpo who tore his in the offseason or prospect Jalon Moore who was injured in a recent pre-draft workout.
ESPN says that Haliburton’s father is indicating that Tyrese has suffered an achilles injury. So not only does that alter Game 7 in an incredible way, it will impact the NBA’s Eastern Conference in the 2025-2026 season. The EC was already wide open, and now it should be a true free-for-all with three enormous stars going down to the same injury these playoffs.
That’s Haliburton, Damian Lillard of the Bucks and Jayson Tatum of the Celtics, all out for either all of or most of 2025-2026. The Magic, who just went all in by trading for Desmond Bane, and the Knicks have to be the favorites.
But never mind all that – it’s four months till opening night, and we’ve got 2024-2025 to settle. That’s coming up shortly – stick with us.
The numbers
ESPN says we’ve had 10 lead changes and nine ties. SGA has 16, Siakam has 10. The difference? SGA is -1 and Siakam is +10.
OKC are just 4-18 from three, which is a horrific 22.2%. Indy have hit half their threes and are 8-16. The Thunder have been strong in the paint, winning that stat 20-12.
It’s pretty even elsewhere.
Indy have their typical balanced offense. The big issue for OKC is SGA has no help. Where is Williams?
Incredible pressure on OKC right now to win a Game 7 at home against an Indy team without its key cog.
Right now, incredibly, Indy are the better team.
Pacers 48-47 Thunder, end of first half
Nembhard bounces off Hartenstein in the paint, shoots and misses. Back come OKC – SGA finds Hartenstein down low, he hits the layup and is fouled by Toppin! A couple of old Knicks right there.
He sticks the foul shot.
Then Mathurin gets charged for a moving screen! SGA comes back on the other end, drives and is fouled. The infraction is on the floor but Indy are over the limit so there’s freee throws for the MVP.
He hits both.
But how about this – Nembhard, a step back three on Holmgren – it’s good!
Indy take a lead into the break after losing their cornerstone! A busy, eventful first half comes to a close, and clearly, against all odds, the Pacers aren’t going away.
Pacers 45-42 Thunder, 1:13 2nd quarter
Obi Toppin tries a three – no good. Siakam goes for the rebound and is fouled by Wallace. He hits both from the stripe. Indy by three.
