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Nightly Pulse: NBA Finals Game 7 Live Blog

NBA Finals Game 7 between the Pacers and Thunder is here. Follow the Nightly Pulse for live updates, news, highlights and more

NBA.com Staff

🏆 NBA Finals Game 7

Oklahoma City Thunder 103, Indiana Pacers 91 (Final)

Congratulations to the Oklahoma City Thunder, your 2024-25 NBA Champions!

🥇 SGA: MVP and Finals MVP

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has officially wrapped up a season that can only be described as historic. SGA won the MVP by averaging 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game as the key cog of a 68-win Thunder team. His performance only got better as the stakes got higher in the Playoffs.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.3 points per game over the seven games in the Finals and is now not only a champion, but a Finals MVP.

To put it in historical context, SGA is the first player since LeBron James in 2013 to win MVP and Finals MVP in the same season. He is also the first player to win Kia MVP and an NBA Championship in the same season since Steph Curry did that with the Warriors in 2015.

🏆 The Thunder Reign: OKC wins 2025 NBA Championship

Thunder 103, Pacers 93

The Thunder came into tonight with the chance to win their first title of the OKC era in front of their home crowd. The stage was set for the first NBA Finals Game 7 in nearly a decade. If it was meant to be for OKC, it would have to come from its big three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

It did.

SGA, the league’s MVP, capped off his coronation with 29 points and 12 assists to lead the way. Jalen Williams followed closely behind with 20 points. And Chet Holmgren set a Finals Game 7 record with five blocks.

And thus, the Thunder cement themselves as champions and affirm what was a special season. A 68-win regular season set the table for a wild playoff run that featured two seven-game series. Hats off to the Thunder, your 2025 NBA Champions!

📰 Game 7 recap: Thunder win first title in OKC era

The Oklahoma City Thunder are your 2025 NBA Champions. It was a journey that started with a 15-point win on the road in Denver back on October 24 and culminated in an NBA Finals Game 7 against a worthy adversary in the Indiana Pacers.

The stage was set for an epic showdown tonight. The series itself had offered plenty of twists and turns through six games, and it was all on the line Sunday night. The game was back-and-forth in the early going as both teams were in the feel-out process of such a momentous contest. Indiana was riding with its leader, Tyrese Haliburton, until Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury that would end his night in the first quarter.

As had often been the case this postseason, the Pacers didn’t blink and actually led at the half.

However, another common theme throughout the playoffs emerged on the other side in the second half. That theme was Thunder dominance.

The Thunder played a suffocating brand of defense that had been part of their DNA all year. They forced 21 turnovers, tripling up the amount of times they themselves turned it over. A +14 turnover differential helped fuel more possessions, and OKC capitalized.

Oklahoma City outscored Indiana 34-20 in the third and grew its lead to 22 points early in the fourth.

Despite a valiant effort from Indiana to cut the lead back down to 10, there was simply not enough time. Especially not with the way that Oklahoma seemingly always found an answer when it needed it.

Ultimately, Oklahoma City prevailed and now gets to hang the banner.

NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, becomes the first MVP to win that award and a title in the same year since 2015 when Stephen Curry accomplished that feat with the Warriors.

⌛ OKC leads with 2:00 to go

The Pacers have made a push in the fourth but still trail by double digits as we reach the final stretch. Can the Thunder hang on, or do the Pacers have another miracle comeback in them?

Catch the finish now on ABC.

🖐Holmgren makes history

Chet Holmgren swatted his fifth blocked shot of the night in the fourth quarter, which is a new record for an NBA Finals Game 7. He surpasses Kevin Garnett (2010) and Marvin Webster (1978), who each registered four rejections in a Game 7.

😬 Crunch time in OKC, Pacers making push

The Pacers have gone on a 11-1 run to cut into the Thunder lead but there’s still a ways for Indiana to go as it trails by 12 with 4:45 to go. 12 points is still a lot of points, but it’s less than the 22-point deficit Indiana was staring down when this run began.

⛈️ Thunder storm warning in OKC

The Thunder had a dominant third quarter and are keeping that same energy in the fourth. They’ve jumped out to an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 21 with just over eight minutes to go. All the things that got Oklahoma City to this point are on display tonight. Suffocating defense. Brilliance from SGA. Clutch contributions from Jalen Williams and Co.

All the elements are working together beautifully right now and a Thunder title could be in the forecast if the Pacers can’t stem the tide, and soon.

Tune into ABC to catch the rest of the fourth quarter.

🔐 Game 7. 4th Quarter. OKC up 13. Lock in.

Thunder 81, Pacers 68

It’s been a recurring theme in the postseason to see the Thunder use a huge third quarter to change a game’s complexion. That’s what happened again tonight in Game 7. Down one going into the third, the Thunder had a super-charged 12 minutes to not only take the lead, but a game-high 13.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to lead the way with 22 points and 10 assists while Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace are providing great two-way play off the bench with a combined 18 points and six steals.

We’ve got one quarter left and everything on the line. Tune into ABC to catch the fourth quarter.

☔ Thunder always happens when it’s raining

The three-ball is starting to fall for Oklahoma City and it’s changing the game. Oklahoma City has hit five triples in the third as part of its 30-18 onslaught in the quarter. The Thunder now have their largest lead of the game at 11 points with just under two minutes to go in the third.

⛈️ Thunder rumbling in the third

The Thunder have come out swinging in the second half with an 18-8 run in the first five minutes. Oklahoma City has taken its largest lead of the game at nine points and forced an Indiana timeout.

It’s getting loud in Paycom Center with a championship in the air if the Thunder can keep this up. The Pacers have made a living on responding all playoffs long, though.

🍿 Second half. Game on.

We’re off and running for the second half of Game 7. 24 minutes for the Pacers and Thunder to battle it out and for a champion to be crowned. Tune into ABC to catch all the action.

Haliburton out for rest of Game 7

Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton will not return tonight after suffering an Achilles injury. We wish Tyrese a speedy recovery. Here are some prayers sent up from our NBA family.

📊 First half stat leaders

Points Rebounds Assists Blocks Steals
Pacers Siakam, 10 Nembhard, 4 McConnell, 3 3 tied with 1 Nesmith, 2
Thunder Gilgeous-Alexander, 16 Hartenstein, 6 Gilgeous-Alexander, 7 2 tied with 1 2 tied with 3

👀 Pacers grab lead going into halftime

Pacers 48, Thunder 47

The table is set for a wild and tense second half as the Thunder and Pacers are separated by just one point at the break.

The Pacers have had to rally without their floor general, Tyrese Haliburton, who will not return after suffering an Achilles injury in the first quarter.

The likes of Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin have carried the scoring burden for the Pacers in Haliburton’s absence.

On the OKC side of the ledger, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been terrific with 16 points and seven assists. He’s having to work for every bucket, though going 5-for-12 from the floor. The Thunder have played with tremendous hustle and defensive intensity by forcing eight turnovers.

The game itself has been a back-and-forth battle. We’ve had nine ties and 10 lead changes. Both the Thunder and the Pacers’ biggest lead is just five points.

Buckle up.

1️⃣2️⃣ A dozen for SGA

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads all scorers with 12 points (4-8 FG, 4-4 FT) as we reach the 7:00 mark in the second. The Thunder are still shooting at an efficient clip overall (44%) but are just 3-for-9 in the second.

🌩️ Thunder lead after 1, Haliburton suffers apparent injury

Thunder 25, Pacers 22

The Thunder take a three-point lead into the second after strong opening periods from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Alex Caruso. Oklahoma City shot 50 percent from the floor and turned it over zero times in the opening stanza.

For the Pacers, one storyline looms above all the others. Tyrese Haliburton, playing through a calf injury, appeared to aggravate the injury late in the first quarter and was helped off the floor.

🔥Caruso smooth

Oklahoma City’s Alex Caruso has provided the range tonight with a pair of triples off the bench. Caruso has added a steal as well in the early going.

🗣️ Hali Back

So far, so good for Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton. The star guard is battling through a calf injury suffered in Game 5 but he’s looking no worse for wear thus far as he hit back-to-back threes to reclaim and extend the lead for Indiana.

Haliburton has nine points thus far. OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has answered with six  as we reach the mid-way point of the opening period.

🏃 Off and running

Andrew Nembhard opens the Game 7 scoring with a midrange J to put the Pacers up early. The Pacers have an 11-8 lead as we get towards the middle of the first quarter in OKC.

📊 Pacers vs Thunder matchup and lineups

Here we are. The two best words in sports. Game 7.

Few could have predicted this at the outset of this series, let alone at the beginning of the playoffs. The Thunder and Pacers took two very different routes to make it to the Finals, and together they have given hoops fans a series to remember.

⭐ The stars have shined

  • This year’s Kia NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has lived up to the billing in the Finals, averaging 30.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
  • Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton had the iconic moment of iconic moments in Game 1, giving the Pacers their first lead of the game with under a second remaining. He has had a number of other incredible moments, but a calf strain in Game 5 put some concern regarding his status for the rest of the series. He suited up in the Game 6 win and is starting Game 7.

🦸‍♂ Heroes have emerged

  • OKC’s Jalen Williams has been on the precipice of stardom and his 40-point game in Game 5 shows the level to which he can take his game. He’ll need to tap into that form tonight to give added support to SGA, who diverts plenty of attention from the Indiana defense.
  • Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin dropped 27 points off the bench in a crucial Game 3 win at home.
  • Other players like T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin for Indiana and Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein for Oklahoma City have all raised their games this series, among others. Luguentz Dort hit five triples in the series opener at home and gives incredible effort on the defensive end.

🔒 It all comes down to this

It’s Game 7. The six games have given both teams the different road maps they can follow to victory. The Pacers and Thunder know one another’s tendencies, rotations, and philosophies.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle and Thunder coach Mark Daigneault have played a masterful chess match from the sidelines throughout the series as well.

It may be cliche, but Game 7 is about execution and dictating the tempo and style of the game. Whichever team can establish their brand of ball will have a distinct advantage, especially in the early going. Of course, when it comes to these two teams, we can feel confident that this one will be uber-competitive for all 48 minutes.

Pacers lineup

Thunder lineup

Let’s sit back and enjoy the action. Catch the game live now on ABC.

🎥 Game 7 sights and sounds

OKC’s MVP, SGA, gears up for tonight’s Game 7 in front of the home crowd. Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 34.3 points per game at home this series.

Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton is testing out his range in pregame warmups ahead of tonight’s battle in OKC.

Indiana’s Obi Toppin and his daughter share a moment before the big game.

Watch the live warmups ahead of go-time

OKC’s fans have been here from the jump, now they get to see Game 7 on their home turf.

🗝️ Pacers vs Thunder Game 7 key storylines

  • Winner take all: The NBA Finals are going to Game 7 for the first time since the epic finish to the 2016 Finals between the Cavaliers and Warriors. This series has been unbelievable with several clutch moments by the biggest players in the biggest moments. With all the drama throughout the series, it’s only fitting that this NBA Finals is going to Game 7.
  • OKC must shake off Game 6: The fact that the series is going back to Game 7 is not bothersome for the Thunder. It’s been a competitive series throughout, and winning in Indiana to close it out was always going to be a tall task. However, the way Game 6 unfolded where Indiana took control in the second quarter and didn’t let up until late in the fourth is something that the Thunder must avoid. The Thunder trailed by as many 31 as momentum swung entirely in Indiana’s favor. That may be unlikely to happen again in front of the home crowd, but Game 6 was another reminder that the Thunder must play their best for 48 minutes against this Pacers team.
  • Can Indiana do it one more time? Indiana has defied the odds and doubters all postseason long. When it won Game 1 in Cleveland, many wondered if the Pacers could do it again. When Indiana finished the top-seeded Cavs in just five games, many thought the run would end against the Knicks. And surely when the Pacers outlasted the Knicks, it would be nearly impossible to replicate that success against the Western Conference’s top dog, the Thunder, right? For each moment that the Pacers have been doubted by the masses, they have responded emphatically. Pushing the NBA Finals to Game 7 is an accomplishment in and of itself, but finishing it off on the road is a whole other level. Tonight, we will see if Indiana can answer the bell one last time.

NBA Finals central

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