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NBA Rumors
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By InsideHoops.comUpdated Monday, June 23, 2025 at 2:00 a.m. ET
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the finishing touches on one of the most impressive individual seasons in NBA history by hoisting the Bill Russell trophy, awarded to the Finals MVP, almost six years after arriving in Oklahoma City as part of the return in a blockbuster trade that signaled the Thunder's shift toward a rebuild. His name is now included among some of the game's all-time greats. After his team's 103-91 win in Game 7 over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, Gilgeous-Alexander joined an exclusive list of players to win the MVP and Finals MVP in the same season. The only others to accomplish that feat are Michael Jordan (four times), LeBron James (twice), Larry Bird (twice), Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Willis Reed. - ESPN.com
The Oklahoma City Thunder took home the 2025 NBA championship -- the first in the franchise's 17 years here -- with a 103-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, capping a historically dominant year and remarkable turnaround. The Thunder went from winning 22 and 24 games, respectively, in 2020-21 and 2021-22 to claiming the top spot in the Western Conference playoffs each of the past two seasons. They followed up a 56-win campaign last season with 68 wins in 2024-25 -- one of the seven best single-season marks in NBA history. They set the record for the largest point differential of all time in the regular season, smashing a mark that had stood for more than half a century. - ESPN.com
Oklahoma City ultimately won 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season. Only Golden State (88 in 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 in 2015-16) won more. Despite the Thunder's accomplishment, Game 7 might be most remembered for an unfortunate reason as Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton suffered what his father confirmed was a right Achilles injury while trying to drive to the basket with 4:55 left in the first quarter. He would be ruled out for the rest of the game a short time later because of the injury -- bringing what had been, to that point, a breathtaking postseason to a heartbreaking conclusion. - ESPN.com
The Pacers hung tough immediately following Haliburton's injury and took a 48-47 lead into halftime. However, that's when Oklahoma City -- behind a brilliant stretch of play from the league's Most Valuable Player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -- had one of its dominating third quarters, outscoring Indiana 34-20 to take a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter. - ESPN.com
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