OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points, Jalen Williams added 20, and the Oklahoma City Thunder became NBA champions by wearing down the Indiana Pacers with a withering defense to pull off a 103-91 win on Sunday night in Game 7.The NBA championship is the franchise’s first since moving to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season and first since winning the 1979 title as the Seattle SuperSonics.The Thunder forced 23 Pacers turnovers while committing just eight and outscored Indiana 32-10 off turnovers.The Pacers, who remain without an NBA title, lost star point guard Tyrese Haliburton to a right leg injury in the first quarter, when he scored nine points.After turning the ball over eight times in a Game 6 blowout loss on the road in the best-of-seven NBA Finals, point guard Gilgeous-Alexander was much better on Sunday night.The NBA Most Valuable Player this season, Gilgeous-Alexander finished just 8 of 27 from the floor and 2 of 12 from beyond the arc but had 12 assists and just one turnover.Indiana trailed by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter but cut the deficit to 12 with less than five minutes left and 10 with just more than two minutes remaining.But the Pacers couldn’t get any closer.Chet Holmgren added 18 points for Oklahoma City.The Thunder took over in the third quarter, using the same suffocating defense that helped them earn the NBA’s best record at 68-14 and pushed them through their playoff run as the favorite to win the crown.Oklahoma City scored 18 points off eight Indiana turnovers as it outscored the Pacers 34-20 in the third.The Thunder, whose offense looked out of sort through much of the first half after struggling in a Game 6 loss, also thrived at the other end of the floor.Oklahoma City didn’t commit a turnover in the third, and Williams scored nine points in the quarter, including hitting a critical 3-pointer during the stretch that put the Thunder ahead for good.Gilgeous-Alexander spun in the lane, drawing an “oooh” from the home crowd.But instead of flipping up a shot, as he has done countless times during his MVP season, Gilgeous-Alexander instead flipped to Williams in the corner.Oklahoma City’s other All-Star quickly fired up a 3-pointer, which bounced high off the rim before draining through, sending the crowd into a frenzy as the Thunder’s lead stretched to nine after back-to-back-to-back Thunder 3-pointers broke a tie.
Thunder best Pacers in Game 7 to bring 1st NBA crown to Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points, Jalen Williams added 20, and the Oklahoma City Thunder became NBA champions by wearing down the Indiana Pacers with a withering defense to pu