NBA Finals Game 7: Oklahoma City Thunder are champions, rare treble for Gilgeous-Alexander
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton injured in first quarter as Thunder clinch their first NBA crown
The Oklahoma City Thunder capped an extraordinary season by defeating the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday to win the franchise’s first title since relocating from Seattle in 2008.
League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the scoring in front of a raucous home crowd at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Centre with 29 points and 12 assists.
He was also crowned the best player of the Finals, marking the first time since Shaquille O’Neal in 2002 that the same player had won the scoring title, and regular season and Finals MVP honours.
The Pacers suffered a huge blow early on when they lost star point guard Tyrese Haliburton midway through the first quarter with an Achilles injury and saw their title hopes dashed by a stifling Oklahoma City defence in the second half.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “So many hours, so many moments, so many emotions, so many nights of disbelief, so many nights of belief.