Thunder Beat Pacers in Game 5, Seeking First Title

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one win away from their first championship after a hard-fought Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers. The Thunder won 120-109 in front of an electric home crowd.

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Star-Studded Thunder Duo

Jalen Williams had a new career playoff-high with 40 points while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 31 for Oklahoma City. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 28 points, while T.J. McConnell added 18 off the bench for Indiana.

Williams was the star of Game 5, who, in addition to setting a new career-high in the playoffs, added six rebounds and four assists. He is only the second Thunder player ever to score 40-plus in a playoff game, joining Russell Westbrook.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the MVP of the NBA this season, had a double-double with 31 points and 10 assists. SGA continues to be consistent for Oklahoma City, scoring 30 in all but one of the Finals series.

By the Numbers

The Thunder were pesky on the defensive end, with 15 steals as a team, including a stretch in the final quarter where they stole the ball from Indiana on four consecutive possessions. Oklahoma City also had 12 blocks on the defensive end.

Turnovers were a significant part of the story for the Pacers in this game, as they committed 23 giveaways to OKC’s 11. The Thunder capitalized, scoring 32 points off those mistakes.

Health of Haliburton

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was ineffective most of the night, scoring only four points after injuring his leg that has been bothering him throughout this series. He returned to the game in the second quarter after going to the locker room with the injury.

Despite the health struggles, Haliburton is not expected to miss Game 6.

The Thunder will look to win their first championship on Thursday night in Indianapolis. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m.