The Oklahoma City Thunder used an outstanding 40-point performance from Jalen Williams to help defeat the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 on Monday night. As a result, they're now up 3-2 and are just one win away from capturing the Thunder's first-ever NBA Title.
The Thunder will hope that the old phrase "defense travels" proves true as they head back to Indianapolis for Game 6. While some Thunder fans likely wish the series-clinching possibility was at home in the Paycom Center, others will hope to avoid a stressful Game 7.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes it to the rack vs. Aaron Nesmith.
© Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivers a blunt message before NBA Finals Game 6
The Thunder are as close to an NBA Title as they have ever been. In their only other trip to the NBA Finals in 2012, they fell to the LeBron James-led Miami Heat 4-1. While being just win away is new territory, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a blunt message on the matter.
"The csup of winning is not winning," said Gilgeous-Alexander. "The way I see, winning is all that matters. It hasn't been fulfilling. We haven't done the way I see it. But I've built great friendships along the way and had a lot of fun playing basketball.
"The organization and guys around me have done a really good job of building an environment that's fun to come to every day and really just focusing on work and getting better and I think that's why we've made jumps."
The Thunder were overwhelming favorites to win coming into the series, so it being tied heading into Game 5 was a shock to some NBA fans. However, Gilgeous-Alexander knows not to count his chickens before they hatch and seems locked in going into Game 6.
Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 32.4 points per game in these NBA Finals, very close to his regular-season mark of 32.7 per game. It's safe to say he hasn't been afraid of the bright lights, and no lights will be brighter than the ones in the upcoming Game 6.