The Oklahoma City Thunder are the new kings of the NBA.
The Thunder have won their first-ever title in franchise history with a dominant Game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers, 103-91.
The Thunder came into the game and the series as favorites. While the Pacers gave the Thunder a run for their money throughout the entire series and in Game 7, it was Oklahoma City that pulled away late in the second half of the contest to emerge as the last team standing.
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Oklahoma City was the best team all season long, and now they have the hardware to prove it.
The Pacers have now lost their second NBA Finals in franchise history, and they did so without their star guard, Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton suffered an apparent Achilles injury that affected the team for this game and certainly will impact them for most, if not all, of next season.
Nonetheless, the Pacers fought hard without their best player, but ultimately it was the Thunder who prevailed in the end. Thunder superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander secured his first-ever title and came away with the Finals MVP.
Gilgeous-Alexander also entered elite company, becoming the 13th player in NBA history to win regular season MVP and Finals MVP.
The last player to capture both MVP and a Finals MVP in the same season was LeBron James back in 2013 with the Miami Heat.
Oklahoma City put together a historic campaign this year, and their regular season dominance backed it up. Fueled by a young, dynamic core and a forward-thinking approach to roster construction, the Thunder claimed the top seed in the Western Conference for the second straight year.
In time, this Thunder squad may be remembered as one of the all-time great champions. While that label may not stick immediately, the numbers and advanced metrics will likely reinforce just how special this team truly was.
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