Thunder One Win Away from First NBA Title in 46 Years After Edging Past Pacers

Jalen Williams scored a career playoff-high 40 points in Oklahoma City’s win on Monday in Game 5 of the NBA finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are now just one win away from capturing their first NBA championship in 46 years after defeating the Indiana Pacers 120–109 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, taking a 3–2 series lead.

Jalen Williams erupted for a playoff career-high 40 points, while league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points and 10 assists. The dynamic duo once again proved unstoppable, marking the 10th time this postseason they’ve combined for over 70 points. Williams went 14-of-25 from the field and added six rebounds and four assists, coming through with several critical buckets in the closing minutes as the Thunder held off a furious Indiana rally.

“That was honestly the same exact game as Game 1,” Williams said. “Learning through these Finals, that’s what makes a team good.”

For much of the game, the Thunder looked like fast learners. They built an 18-point lead late in the second quarter and entered halftime ahead 59–45. But the Pacers, known for their resilience this postseason, stormed back once again. Indiana, which had already come back from double-digit deficits to win five times during its playoff run, outscored Oklahoma City 34–28 in the third quarter, led by a spark from backup guard TJ McConnell.

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton slips past Thunder defender Luguentz Dort during a second-half drive in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night in Oklahoma City.

McConnell scored 13 of his 18 points in just under seven minutes, cutting the Thunder lead to five. Early in the fourth, Pascal Siakam, who finished with 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting, hit two free throws to bring Indiana within four. A minute later, his three-pointer trimmed the margin to just two, 95–93.

But Oklahoma City responded with the poise of a team on the brink of a title. Gilgeous-Alexander attacked the rim and got to the line for crucial free throws, while Williams buried a three and a mid-range jumper to push the lead back into double digits. Role players Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins delivered timely buckets off the bench, and the Thunder outscored Indiana 25–14 over the next seven minutes to seal the win.

The Thunder hit 14 three-pointers and shot over 43% from deep, committing just 11 turnovers. On defense, they forced 23 Pacers turnovers, converting them into 32 points. Indiana shot just 11-of-30 from beyond the arc.

“That’s a really good team over there,” Williams said of Indiana. “You just don’t trip into the Finals.”

The Pacers’ hopes took a major blow when star point guard Tyrese Haliburton appeared to aggravate a lingering lower leg injury in the first quarter. Though he returned with his calf heavily wrapped, he never found his rhythm, finishing with just four points—all on free throws—while missing all six shot attempts. It was the first time in his playoff career he was held scoreless in a half. Haliburton added seven rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes, but Indiana’s offense clearly missed his playmaking and pace.

Oklahoma City's defense, anchored by Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, and Isaiah Hartenstein, capitalized on Haliburton’s limitations and turned missed shots into transition opportunities, winning the fast-break battle 17–13.

With the victory, the Thunder handed Indiana its first set of back-to-back losses since mid-March. It also marked the first time all postseason the Pacers have trailed in a series, after dispatching Milwaukee, Cleveland, and New York without falling behind.

History now favors Oklahoma City. Teams that win Game 5 of a Finals series tied 2–2 have gone on to win the championship 74% of the time. Teams with a 3–2 lead in the Finals are 40–9 all-time.

Game 6 tips off Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where the Pacers are 9–1 this postseason. If Indiana can force a Game 7, it will return to Oklahoma City on Sunday night.