Oklahoma City erupted in celebration Sunday night as the Thunder delivered the franchise’s first NBA championship since relocating from Seattle in 2008. In a decisive Game 7 performance, the Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103–91, completing a historic playoff run and bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Oklahoma for the first time in city history.
Led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who poured in 29 points and steered the team with his signature poise, the Thunder showcased the kind of control and maturity that defined their 2024–25 season. Gilgeous-Alexander’s Finals performance—including a record-setting 72 points over Games 1 and 2—set the tone for a team that refused to blink under pressure. Jalen Williams emerged as another star in the making, dropping 40 points in a pivotal Game 5 win that put OKC within striking distance of the title.
The Finals weren’t a walkover. Indiana, led by Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, pushed the series to the limit. Haliburton’s Game 1 buzzer-beater stunned Oklahoma City and gave the Pacers early momentum. But injuries and OKC’s swarming defense eventually tilted the series. The Thunder’s dominance in the paint and ability to close out games silenced doubters and proved this team wasn’t just talented—they were ready.
The title caps off a record-setting season for Oklahoma City, who finished with a league-best 68–14 record and the highest point differential in franchise history. It also adds their name to a growing list of champions in what has become one of the most competitively diverse eras in NBA history—seven different franchises have won the title in the last seven seasons.
For Oklahoma City fans, the win is more than a championship—it’s validation. More than a decade removed from losing the Seattle SuperSonics, and years removed from the Durant-Westbrook-Harden era that nearly was, the Thunder have finally completed the journey. This isn’t just the franchise’s first title since 1979 (as the Sonics). It’s the first time Oklahoma City itself can claim basketball’s biggest prize.
And in the heart of the Great Plains, the thunder has never sounded sweeter.
