MANILA, Philippines – The Oklahoma City Thunder moved one win away from the NBA title after a 120–109 Game 5 victory over the Indiana Pacers. With a 3–2 series lead, OKC now heads to Indianapolis looking to seal the championship on the road.
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| Jalen Williams shines in Game 5, leading the Thunder past the Pacers and putting OKC one win away from the NBA title. Photo courtesy: NBA |
With the series tied at 2–2, both teams entered the pivotal Game 5 with one goal in mind: to win and gain a crucial edge both physically and mentally.
The Indiana Pacers started strong and took an early lead, but turnovers once again became their downfall. The Oklahoma City Thunder took full advantage, using those miscues to swing the momentum in their favor.
While Indiana squandered opportunities with costly turnovers, OKC thrived in the paint through Chet Holmgren’s inside presence, with support from Jalen Williams.
On top of their offensive struggles, the Pacers faced more trouble as Coach Rick Carlisle was hit with a technical foul for excessive complaining at the seven-minute mark of the first quarter.
By the end of the first twelve minutes, the Thunder had built a double-digit lead, 32–22, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge with 7 points.
Coach Carlisle’s end-of-quarter huddle paid off as the Pacers opened the second period with a mini but meaningful run, forcing Coach Mark Daigneault to call an early timeout.
Tyrese Haliburton, who had been prolific in the previous games, remained scoreless with six minutes remaining in the first half.
Haliburton’s scoring absence proved costly for the Pacers and was a major factor in their 15-point deficit midway through the second quarter.
OKC weren’t just clicking on offense as their defense was nearly flawless. Holmgren dominated the paint, turning away shots and controlling the boards, proving to be a tough matchup for the Pacers’ big men.
It seemed like the basketball gods were on the Thunder’s side as nearly everything went their way, especially their three-point shooting, which helped them build a 59–45 lead by halftime.
While everything seemed to be going OKC’s way, luck continued to evade the Pacers, who opened the third quarter with yet another turnover.
Haliburton finally scored his first two points at the six-minute mark of the third quarter through free throws. The Indiana star appeared to be nursing a leg injury but chose to stay on the floor.
While Haliburton remained cold, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner stepped up and carried the Pacers on their shoulders.
Midway through the third quarter, the Pacers came knocking on OKC’s door. TJ McConnell sparked the potential comeback, cutting the deficit from 18 down to just 6.
McConnell’s presence in the third quarter made a huge impact for the Pacers as they finally closed the gap, trailing just 87–79 heading into the final quarter.
Caught off guard by the Pacers’ run, Oklahoma responded with a barrage of three-pointers in the fourth quarter to push their lead back to double digits.
Indiana made another strong push and managed to cut the lead down to just two. They had chances to tie the game or take the lead, but costly turnovers prevented them from capitalizing.
The Pacers may have caught a glimpse of hope, but it was short-lived as OKC stepped on the gas and rebuilt a 16-point lead with just over five minutes remaining.
The Thunder’s fourth quarter surge wasn’t driven by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 29 points. Instead, it was Williams who delivered the biggest blow, exploding for 40 points to lead OKC’s charge with a few more minutes left.
Oklahoma never looked back after re-establishing a comfortable lead midway through the fourth quarter. They held onto a double-digit cushion and closed out Game 5 with a 120–109 win to take a 3–2 series lead.
OKC now has a chance to close out the series on Friday, but it won’t come easy as the Pacers look to bounce back on their home floor.
— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express