Paycom Center was absolutely vibrating. You could feel the metal in the floorboards shaking long before tip-off. People usually say "pivotal Game 5" like it’s some stale cliché, but on June 16, 2025, it actually felt like the world was tilted on its axis. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers were locked at 2-2. Whoever took this game wasn’t just getting a lead; they were basically grabbing the throat of the entire series.
Honestly, nobody expected the Pacers to be here. They’d spent most of the season being called "a nice story" or "too young." But then they started torching teams, and suddenly OKC found themselves staring down a group of guys who didn’t know they were supposed to be the underdogs.
Then Jalen Williams happened.
The Night Jalen Williams Became a Legend
If you missed it, you missed arguably the most efficient masterpiece of the year. J-Dub dropped a career playoff-high 40 points. He wasn't just scoring; he was surgically dismantling a very good Pacers defense. He finished 14-of-25 from the floor, including a ridiculous 24 points in the second half alone.
It was the kind of performance that makes you realize the hierarchy of the league has officially shifted. While the MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was doing his thing (31 points, 10 assists, and a monster 4 blocks), Williams was the one providing the "get out of the way" energy.
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The two of them became the first teammates since LeBron and Kyrie in 2016 to have a 40/30 split in a Finals game. Think about that for a second. That’s elite company.
What Really Happened With the Pacers' Comeback?
At one point, the Thunder were up by 18. It felt like a blowout. Most of the fans in the 300-level seats were already checking prices for championship gear. But these Pacers? They’re "comeback kings" for a reason.
Pascal Siakam was playing like a man possessed. He put up 28 points and anchored a run that saw Indiana cut that 18-point lead down to just two in the fourth quarter. It was 95-93 with about nine minutes left. The arena went dead silent. You could hear the squeak of sneakers again because everyone was too nervous to breathe.
Then the Thunder did something they failed to do in Game 1: they stayed the course. Mark Daigneault, who’s basically a mad scientist in a suit, kept his cool. OKC went on a 18-4 run over the next three minutes, and that was that.
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The Tyrese Haliburton Injury Factor
We have to talk about Tyrese. It was painful to watch. He finished the game with 4 points. Four. And all of them came from the free-throw line.
He didn't make a single field goal the entire night. For a guy who had been the engine of the highest-scoring offense in the league, it was surreal. After the game, Rick Carlisle confirmed what everyone suspected: Haliburton was dealing with severe calf tightness. He was basically playing on one leg.
You’ve gotta respect the grit, but honestly, it might have hurt them more than helped them. Without his ability to create space, the Thunder's defense—led by Alex Caruso and Lu Dort—just swarmed everyone else.
Why This Game Changed the Series
Statistics tell us that teams that win Game 5 of a tied Finals series go on to win the title about 72% of the time. But this wasn't just about the numbers. It was about the psychological break. Indiana threw their best punch—a massive second-half rally—and OKC just smiled and punched back harder.
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- OKC's Defense: They held Indiana to 109 points, which is a win in itself against that squad.
- The Bench: T.J. McConnell was great again (18 points), but the Thunder's depth finally looked superior.
- SGA's Rim Protection: 4 blocks from a point guard in a Finals game? That’s just disrespectful.
The 120-109 final score doesn't really show how close it felt for those five minutes in the fourth, but it definitely shows who has the higher ceiling when the lights are brightest.
What You Should Look For Next
If you’re tracking how this series ends, the physical toll is now the biggest storyline. Haliburton’s calf is the X-factor for Game 6. If he can't go at 80% or better, the Pacers are going to have to rely on Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard to play the games of their lives.
For OKC, it's about not letting the "we're one win away" mindset lead to a letdown in Indianapolis.
Watch the rotation patterns. Daigneault has been shortening his bench, relying heavily on the Williams-SGA-Holmgren trio. Holmgren's 11 rebounds and rim deterrence in Game 5 were subtle but massive.
The smartest thing you can do now is keep an eye on the injury reports for Haliburton's calf and J-Dub's usage rate. If Williams continues to hunt his shot early in Game 6, this might not even go back to Oklahoma City for a Game 7.