Oklahoma City Thunder Are the Winner of the 2025 NBA Finals

by Lisa Spencer, June 27, 2025

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the big winners in the 2025 NBA Finals. On Sunday, they defeated the Indiana Pacers in an exciting seven-game series.

The Oklahoma City Thunder Defeats the Indiana Pacers

On Sunday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in what was a physical and high-pressure affair. This was OKC’s first NBA Finals since relocating from Seattle in 2008. They secured the title with a 103-91 victory in Game 7.

The team performed excellently, achieving the best regular-season record at 68–14. They also broke the NBA record for scoring differential in a season, outscoring opponents by 12.9 points per game.

The Indiana Pacers were fearsome opponents, holding a narrow 48-47 lead at halftime despite the right Achilles injury that took star Tyrese Haliburton out of the game early in the second quarter.

Things changed in the second half when the Oklahoma City Thunder took the lead with a 56-43 score. The team successfully capitalized on Indiana’s 23 turnovers, scoring 32 points in total.

In a critical fourth-quarter sequence, Gilgeous-Alexander assisted Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams on back-to-back baskets, extending the Thunder’s lead to 89-68 and effectively sealing the game. The franchise’s previous NBA Championship victory was in 1979, when it was known as the Seattle SuperSonics (1967–2008).

This year, the Indiana Pacers’ performance was also rather good, especially considering that this was their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. The team pushed the Thunders to the limit, leading in passes per possession throughout the entire time. Despite ultimately losing, they proved their skills and determination.

“There was no surrender. It was just, you know it, was all defiant fight until the end.”

Rick Carlisle, Head Coach for the Indiana Pacers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Named the 2025 NBA Finals MVP

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the 2025 NBA Finals MVP title. This is not surprising, especially considering his leading role in his team’s victory.

In Game 7, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points and dished out 12 assists. Over the seven-game series against the Indiana Pacers, he averaged 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game, shooting 44.3% from the field.

Gilgeous-Alexander dominated the 2024-2025 NBA season, also winning the regular-season MVP, the scoring title, and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP. The 26-year-old basketball star continues to build on his remarkable career. Currently, he is one of the top players in the league and a massive factor in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s success.

What’s Next on the NBA Front

The NBA draft is coming up on June 25th and 26th at Barclays Center in New York. Then, there are various Summer League events, such as the California Classic and the Las Vegas Summer League. The 2025-2026 NBA Season starts on October 21st, 2025. The regular season will run through April 2026, followed by the play-in tournament and the playoffs.