Oklahoma City Thunder is crowned NBA champion with a historic Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is crowned MVP and makes history in the league
The Oklahoma City Thunder reached the top of the NBA this Sunday by defeating the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in the seventh and decisive game of the Finals, becoming champions for the first time since their move from Seattle.
The game was played at the Paycom Center in front of a crowd that cheered on a young team with the character of a veteran.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again shone brilliantly. The Canadian point guard, chosen as the regular season MVP, closed out his spectacular campaign with 29 points, 12 assists, and 5 rebounds, leading a Thunder team that proved to be up to the task.
Jalen Williams contributed 20 points and Chet Holmgren added 18, completing an unstoppable offensive trident.
Indiana, dreaming of its first ring, suffered a devastating blow in the opening minutes. Its star, Tyrese Haliburton, was injured with 4:55 left in the first quarter. The point guard fell out of contact, visibly shaking, hitting the ground helplessly. The medical team confirmed an injury to his lower right leg, which forced him to leave the game.
The game, which was tied 16-16 at the time, changed completely. Haliburton had already scored 9 points with three three-pointers, but his absence altered the Pacers' rhythm. Benedict Mathurin took over the offensive post with 24 points, well accompanied by Pascal Siakam and TJ McConnell, both with 16.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, MVP of everything
In addition to the title, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took home the Finals Most Valuable Player award thanks to an average performance of 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. His impact was such that he is now being compared to legends who have won both the regular season and Finals MVP titles in the same season, such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson.
In fact, if we also consider his Western Conference Finals MVP awards, the Canadian is the first in history to win all three awards in a single season: something unprecedented since the creation of the “Magic Johnson” and “Larry Bird” trophies in 2022.