The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday looking to clinch the championship in front of their home crowd.
That is exactly what they were able to do as they picked up the 103-91 victory to secure their first championship since relocating to Oklahoma City.
It was a tightly contested contest early on for the Thunder as the Pacers were able to keep up with them in the first half despite Tyrese Haliburton going down with an Achilles injury in the first quarter.
The second half was a different story, though, as the Thunder dominated their way to a victory, mainly due to their elite defensive play.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren gestures after scoring against the Philadelphia 76ers at Paycom Center on March 19, 2025.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren gestures after scoring against the Philadelphia 76ers at Paycom Center on March 19, 2025.
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 29 points, five rebounds and 12 assists en route to being named Finals MVP.
Chet Holmgren also came up huge on Sunday night as he ended the game with 18 points, eight rebounds and five blocks.
After the game, Holmgren sent a loud four-word message about Oklahoma City’s championship.
“Broken bones, bruises, it’s all temporary. But this is forever,” Holmgren said.
Holmgren is completely right as this Thunder team will forever be known as an NBA champion and Holmgren played a key role in their success all season.
Of course, the star forward dealt with multiple injuries this season, including a hip injury that kept him sidelined for multiple months.
Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
May 26, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8), forward Chet Holmgren (7) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) talk to the media after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
© Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Despite this, Holmgren was able to come back and battle through injury, even during the NBA Finals, as he helped lead the Thunder to a championship.
With their core of Shai, Jalen Williams and Holmgren leading the way, the Thunder are set to be a dangerous team for the foreseeable future and they now enter the offseason looking to possibly upgrade their roster even more to chase another title next season.