Thunder Take Control of NBA Finals with Game 5 Win Over Pacers

Thunder Put Pacers on the Brink After Game 5 Victory

The mood was electric in Oklahoma City as the Thunder nabbed a pivotal 120-109 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. It was a night where Jalen Williams simply couldn’t miss, dropping a stunning 40 points with clinical precision (14-of-25 from the floor, 3-of-5 from deep), marking the best playoff game of his budding career. Williams was everywhere — dashing into the lane, knocking down contested jumpers, and even snagging 6 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists for good measure. The Thunder now hold a 3-2 advantage, flipping the pressure right onto the Pacers as the championship inches closer for Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City’s energy was obvious from tip-off. This squad clearly understood the weight of a tied 2-2 Finals, and they played like a team desperate to avoid chasing the series on the road. By halftime, the Thunder had built a comfortable lead, moving the ball with pace and finding open looks against an Indiana defense still scrambling to adjust. Veteran guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander quietly contributed, keeping the offense flowing and making all the little plays that often go unnoticed on the stat sheet.

Pacer Fightback Falls Short Despite McConnell Spark and Siakam’s Surge

Indiana came out swinging after the break, but their leader Tyrese Haliburton just wasn’t himself. Nursing a leg injury, Haliburton’s usual edge was gone, and it was up to the supporting cast to fight off the Thunder surge. Enter T.J. McConnell. In a span of just seven third-quarter minutes, McConnell lit a fire under the Pacers with 13 rapid points, injecting hope into Indiana fans who feared the game might spiral out of reach. His relentless dribble drives and quick decisions caused Oklahoma City’s defense actual headaches, cutting the Thunder’s double-digit cushion to just four points early in the fourth quarter.

But the Thunder had answers every time. Pascal Siakam put in a classic two-way performance for the Pacers, racking up 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting with a couple key threes down the stretch — the kind of effort you expect from a seasoned Finals veteran. It just wasn’t enough. The Thunder closed ranks, forced key stops, and watched Williams ice the game with composure rare for a player so fresh to the NBA’s biggest stage.

History isn’t kind to teams in the Pacers’ spot right now. Teams with a 3-2 lead in the Finals have gone on to win the title 82% of the time — that’s 40 out of 49 cases. Even starker, the team winning Game 5 when a series is tied 2-2 is crowned champion 74% of the time. Oklahoma City now sits just one victory away from the franchise’s first NBA championship. Game 6 shifts back to Indiana, and for the Pacers, it’s not just another game — it’s win or go home.

The stakes couldn’t be higher, and as the Thunder look to make history, all eyes are on Game 6 to see if they can turn a NBA Finals lead into a title celebration.