Berry Tramel
OKLAHOMA CITY — Moderate basketball fan of America, meet the Thunder.
The rest of us? We got a treat, too. We were witness to Batman’s new partner. And Jalen Williams is no Robin.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams combined for 71 points, and it wasn’t SGA on the high side. Williams scored 40 points, one shy of his career high FOR ANY GAME, and Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 as the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 120-109 Monday in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
It could have been the final game of the season at Paycom Center. The Thunder goes to Indianapolis for Game 6 Thursday night with a chance to bring an NBA championship to Oklahoma.
And the Thunder goes with a blossomed superstar. Williams had his second straight dominant game in these Finals, this a masterpiece, making 14-of-25 shots and carrying the Thunder in multiple stretches of a tense game. None moreso than when Indiana got within two points with 8:13 left in the game. The Thunder scored on eight straight possessions, during which Williams had eight points, including the igniter, a wing 3-pointer that returned Indiana’s deficit to five, 98-93.
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SGA had 31 points and scored on four of five possessions after the Pacers rallied to within six points late in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Thunder did the dirty work that makes this team what it is.
Watching the NBA Finals, maybe you wondered what all the fuss was about concerning these Thunders. THIS is what the fuss was about.
The Thunder did it by dominating early, then dominating late, like it had during an historic regular season.
Constant takeaways. Suffocating defense. Get-in-the-fast-lane-and-go-to-town offense.
Early and late, the Thunder executed like Red Panda, the legendary halftime act who performed at Paycom Center during intermission Monday night.
The crowning blow came midway through the fourth quarter, when the Thunder produced four straight takeaways — and scored off all of them.
SGA stole an Andrew Nembhard pass and drove to the basket, resulting in two foul shots. SGA then stole a Tyrese Haliburton pass, leading to a Williams 3-pointer. Then Alex Caruso stole a Nembhard pass, leading to a Williams foul shot. Finally, Luguentz Dort stole a Haliburton pass, leading to two Williams foul shots. That made it 113-97, and this game was over.
At halftime, OKC had 16 assists, as many or more as it had in three of the previous Finals games. Backups Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace each had nailed three 3-pointers, showing off the remarkable depth that propelled the Thunder to 68 regular-season wins and an NBA record in point differential.
The Pacers have made life tough on the Thunder, winning twice and requiring OKC to rally in the fourth quarter of Game 4 in Indianapolis. But this seemed like a revived Thunder team. The Pacers committed 23 turnovers, and OKC outscored Indiana 32-9 in points off turnovers.
Pascal Siakam (28 points) and T.J. McConnell (18 points) kept Indiana close, but the Thunder tidal wave, of defense and superstars, was too much. Haliburton, Indiana’s leader, scored four points and didn’t make a shot. He suffered a calf injury in the second quarter but returned, without production. He’ll see Dort in his nightmares for years to come.
Speaking of which, meet the Thunder, America. You’re going to get to know them very well over the next few postseasons.
berry.tramel@tulsaworld.com
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