Honestly, looking back at the 2025 NBA Finals, everyone seems to talk about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning the MVP trophy. Or they focus on the heartbreak of Tyrese Haliburton’s injury. But if you really want to understand how Oklahoma City finally climbed the mountain, you have to look at OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Game 5.
That was the night the series tilted.
June 16, 2025. Paycom Center was vibrating. The series was deadlocked at 2-2. Most pundits thought Indiana had the momentum after grinding out Game 3 and looking tough. Then Jalen Williams decided he wasn’t going to let a small-market showdown slip away.
The Jalen Williams Masterclass
Everyone expects SGA to drop 30. It's basically a law of physics at this point. But in OKC Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Game 5, it was Jalen "J-Dub" Williams who turned into a flamethrower.
He put up 40 points.
Forty.
He shot 14-of-25 from the floor. It wasn't just the volume; it was the timing. Every single time Rick Carlisle’s squad made a run, Williams had an answer. He was hitting these MJ-style turnaround jumpers and slicing through the lane like the Pacers' defense was made of wet paper.
Indiana actually pulled within two points in the fourth quarter. It was 95-93. The tension in that arena was thick enough to cut with a knife. People were starting to sweat. Then Williams drilled a three-pointer that basically broke the Pacers' spirit. OKC went on an 18-4 run right after that.
What Really Happened With the Pacers' Defense
Most people blame the Pacers' loss on fatigue, but the real story was the turnovers. You can’t win a Game 5 on the road when you give the ball away 23 times. That is astronomical for a Finals game.
The Thunder’s defense—led by Lu Dort and the veteran presence of Alex Caruso—was absolute hell. They forced those 23 turnovers and turned them into 32 points. It was a track meet. Even with Pascal Siakam playing his heart out with 28 points, Indiana just couldn't handle the ball security issues.
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T.J. McConnell was arguably the only reason it stayed close for three quarters. He had this wild 13-point burst in the third quarter where he looked like the best player on the court. But eventually, the sheer depth of Oklahoma City wore them down.
Why This Game Still Matters in 2026
Fast forward to today, January 2026, and the ripples from that game are still everywhere. The Thunder are now the defending champs, sitting at the top of the West with a 31-7 record. They aren't the "young team" anymore. They're the standard.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are still feeling the sting. Tyrese Haliburton, who was hobbled in that Game 5 and later suffered that brutal Achilles injury in Game 7, is still the "what if" of that entire season. Without his full mobility, Indiana's high-octane offense lost its engine right when they needed it most.
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Key Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you’re tracking the current 2025-26 season, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding these two teams:
- J-Dub is a Max Player: His performance in Game 5 proved he is a legitimate co-star, not just a high-end role player. He's currently averaging nearly 18 points a game this season while sharing the floor with a 31-point-per-game SGA.
- The Turnover Factor: The Pacers still struggle with ball security in high-pressure road games. Keep an eye on their turnover ratio when they face top-tier defensive teams like OKC or Minnesota.
- The Paycom Advantage: OKC has turned their home court into a fortress. Since that Game 5 win, their home record in "big games" is among the best in NBA history.
The Thunder eventually won that series in seven games, but they never would have smelled the trophy without the cushion provided by the 120-109 victory in Game 5. It was the night a young roster finally grew up.
If you want to catch the next chapter of this rivalry, the Thunder and Pacers face off again on January 23, 2026, at the Paycom Center. It’ll be their first meeting in Oklahoma City since the Finals celebrations ended. Expect a lot of emotion and probably a very loud standing ovation for the defending champs.
Actionable Next Steps:
Keep a close watch on the injury reports for the January 23rd rematch. While Haliburton is still recovering, the emergence of Bennedict Mathurin (who recently dropped 36 on OKC in a double-OT thriller) suggests the Pacers have found new ways to score. If you're looking at the spread, pay attention to the turnover battle—it’s historically the deciding factor when these two styles clash.