Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
In the biggest game of their careers, Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered. Williams dropped a playoff career-high 40 points and Gilgeous-Alexander recorded a Finals-first 31-point, 10-assist, 4-block performance as the Thunder beat the Pacers 120–109 to take a 3–2 series lead in the NBA Finals.
JDUB DELIVERS A GAME 5 MASTERPIECE 💯🔥
⚡️ 40 PTS (playoff career high)
⚡️ 24 PTS in 2H
⚡️ 14-25 FGM
⚡️ 3rd-straight 25+ PT game@okcthunder are now just 1 win away from an NBA Championship! pic.twitter.com/XQHbkCB2rz
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2025
JDUB DELIVERS A GAME 5 MASTERPIECE 💯🔥
⚡️ 40 PTS (playoff career high)
⚡️ 24 PTS in 2H
⚡️ 14-25 FGM
⚡️ 3rd-straight 25+ PT game@okcthunder are now just 1 win away from an NBA Championship! pic.twitter.com/XQHbkCB2rz
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2025
The Thunder came out firing, building an 18-point first-half lead behind their All-NBA duo, who combined for 71 points. It marked the most in a Finals game by teammates under 28 since Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant did it for OKC in 2012. Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander also joined LeBron James and Kyrie Irving as the only teammates in the past 40 years to each post 40 and 30 in a Finals game.
Williams attacked all night, scoring in every quarter and notching 18 of his 40 points in the paint. Gilgeous-Alexander made history with his stat line and his steady leadership down the stretch. OKC’s supporting cast delivered as well, with Chet Holmgren and Luguentz Dort adding nine points each, and the bench combining for 25 points and seven threes.
Despite OKC’s dominance early, Indiana nearly repeated its Game 1 comeback. T.J. McConnell sparked the charge late in the third, and Pascal Siakam scored 12 early in the fourth to cut the Thunder’s lead to two. But OKC answered with an 18–4 run to close the door.
“That was honestly the same exact game as Game 1,” Williams said. “Learning through these Finals, that’s what makes a team good.”
The Thunder learned. Now, they’re one win away from their first championship since moving to Oklahoma City.