Thunderstruck: SGA & JDub Put OKC on the Brink of a Championship

Let me just come out and say it: The Oklahoma City Thunder are not playing with y’all.

They beat the Indiana Pacers 120-109 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and now stand one win away from the franchise’s first title since 1979.

They were the Seattle SuperSonics back then.

But this wasn’t just a win—it was a declaration.

Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?

They didn’t just show up.

They showed out.

JDub’s Star Turn: A 40-Piece Lemon Pepper Wing Dinner with Fries on the SIDE

Jalen Williams was hotter than fish grease in OKC. Dropped 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting. 

He had the energy of a man possessed—getting to the rack, killing 'em in transition, and fading away like Kobe in the clutch.

And listen—he’s the first player under 25 to put up at least 25 points and 5 rebounds in three straight Finals games since young Shaq in ‘95. He’s also scored 91 points over that stretch.

91!

This man’s playoff glow-up is real. And honestly? It’s been necessary because he’s shouldering a lot of the ball-handling duties to give SGA some breathing room against Indiana’s press defense.

And it’s working beautifully.

SGA’s All-Time Postseason Run Continues

You know the vibes with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: consistent excellence. He added 31 points and 10 assists, tying his personal best for dimes in these playoffs.

But let’s take this further:

• 15 games with 30+ points in a single postseason. Only Kobe, MJ, and Hakeem have done that.

• 12 playoff games with 30 points and 5 assists. Just passed Jordan (’90) and LeBron (’18).

Come on now. What more do you want from the man?!

When you’re in the same postseason conversations as Kobe, MJ, and Bron—you’ve crossed over into all-time territory.

And Shai? He’s still in his mid-20s. Just warming up.

Tyrese Haliburton: Superstar or Nah?

I say this with love and honesty: Haliburton has been exposed on the biggest stage. Yes, he’s battling a strained right calf that clearly affected him in Game 5—but if you’re playing 34 minutes, you have to give more than 4 points on 0-for-6 shooting.

That ain’t it, chief.

His stat line looked like a ghost story. You had to squint just to find him in the box score.

And let’s be real—this isn’t new. He’s had a postseason full of highs followed by head-scratching lows. Great one night, then a non-factor the next. And if you're a superstar, that can’t happen in the NBA Finals.

It just can’t.

As a matter of fact, the Pacers are 6-7 this postseason when Hali has 20 or fewer points.

Shoutout to T.J. McConnell, though. He came in and gave the Pacers a SERIOUS boost off the bench—18 points in 22 minutes.

Meanwhile, Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 28.

A real one.

A former champ.

He showed up.

What’s Next? Game 6 in Indy.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Teams that win Game 5 in a 2–2 series? They win the championship 74.2% of the time.

• The Pacers are 14-0 when scoring over 110.

• They’re 0-7 when scoring under 110.

  
  

So yeah, 110 is their magic number. And unless Haliburton finds that gear again (or someone else steps up), it might be curtains.

My Prediction:

I’ve got the Thunder winning it all in 7. But I’m still picking the Pacers to win Game 6 at home, only if Haliburton can play at 80–90%.

If not?

Game. Over.

Thunder, champions.