The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 120-109 to clinch the NBA Finals in Game 5. With this win, they move one game ahead in the series 3-2, now only one win away from winning the championship. Jalen Williams put on an option show, scoring a career playoff-high 40 points. At the same time, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued an impressive breakout season, scoring 31 points and dishing out 10 assists.
The Pacers mounted one of the great comebacks. The Lady Bulldogs clawed back to erase an 18-point margin late in the opening half. Indiana showed phenomenal strength in the postseason. They piled up five comeback wins from 15+ points down, the same number as the rest of the league put together.
Though the Pacers put forth a huge third-quarter charge, Pascal Siakam provided a stunning counterattack. He scored a pair of free throws with 9:19 left in the game, narrowing the gap to four points. About a minute later, Siakam hit a big three-pointer that brought Indiana within two points at 95-93.
In NBA Finals history, teams that have had a lead of 15 points or more are 92-0. It would mark their 81st victory in 89 such games since the play-by-play era began. The Thunder was able to withstand a furious Pacers’ rally in the final minutes to win their game.
All-Star Tyrese Haliburton spent the first quarter on the sidelines after aggravating a right leg injury. This injury severely hampered his overall performance for the remainder of that game. Even with that anomaly occurring, the Pacers were able to rally behind TJ McConnell who had a massive game scoring 18 points and securing the win.
Jalen Williams reflected on the match, noting its similarities to Game 1 of the series:
“That was honestly the same exact game as Game 1.” – Jalen Williams
He further recognized what it took for his team to make it to the finals, saying,
“You just don’t trip into the finals.” – Jalen Williams
Round 2 of this war returns to Indiana for Game 6 on Thursday night. Now the Pacers are going through a truly difficult test. Teams that win Game 5 of an NBA Finals tied at 2-2 don’t lose the series. In 31 tries, they have prevailed 23 times for a stunning success rate of 74%. Teams leading the finals 3-2 have won 40 out of 49 previous opportunities, translating to an 82% success rate.
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