NBA Finals MVP Ladder: Closing arguments to be made in decisive Game 7
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the leading scorer during the 2025 NBA Finals.
— It’s all up for grabs now — the championship and the NBA Finals MVP award. And now we get to see who has the longest arms come Sunday for Game 7 to reach for those riches and snatch all the spoils of victory.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Jalen Williams? Tyrese Haliburton? Pascal Siakam? Those are the high-climbing front-runners on this final installment of the Finals MVP Ladder. Or maybe a disruptor comes along, has the game of his life, and shakes up the voting?
The next and final four quarters of the series will be telling. This is a game that’ll be weighted heavier in the MVP chase than the previous six. This is where reputations are made, or damaged. This is when someone seizes the moment and does so without fear of failing. This mentality separates the MVPs from the pack. It takes a player who desperately wants to become a permanent part of history.
The mentality, the talent and yes, the luck. If it’s all aligned Sunday for someone on this ladder, their MVP claim will be without debate.
T.J. McConnell, No. 5 on this ladder, has more steals in the NBA Finals (14 through six games) than in the previous three playoff rounds combined (five, over 16 games).
“One game for everything you ever dreamed of. If you win it, you get everything. If you lose it, you get nothing. It’s that simple.” — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the stakes at hand for Game 7.
A poor Game 6 aside, Gilgeous-Alexander maintains pole position for this award if OKC claims the championship. In that situation, the MVP would be his to lose, because in order to win Game 7, OKC will undoubtedly require plenty from a player who has answered that bell all season and through much of the postseason.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the leading scorer in this series and among the steals leaders. He had one bad game, one mild game and the others were superb. The motivation to become a first-time champion and add significantly to his rich 2025 trophy case should bring out his best.
His 40-pointer in Game 5 remains the biggest scoring outburst in the series, and his role as a co-star already ranks historically in the Finals. Like his teammates, Williams is coming off a Game 6 struggle, though for him it was an aberration. His impact at both ends has been invaluable for the Thunder and has done wonders for his basketball credibility.
Williams is just 24, which makes his few stumbles understandable and his many contributions admirable. He’s a star in the making and, with a robust Game 7, could make for an interesting MVP debate between him and Gilgeous-Alexander.
Tyrese Haliburton comes up with a steal and delivers a no-look pass to Pascal Siakam, who slams it home over Jalen Williams.
He’s the Pacers’ leading scorer and rebounder and has his number called first whenever Indiana needs something to happen. Siakam has been a handful for OKC and is right behind Nikola Jokić and Anthony Edwards in terms of the biggest threats in this postseason against the Thunder’s top-rated defense.
Siakam claimed the conference finals MVP when the Pacers ousted the Knicks and is positioned to grab another if Indiana wins Game 7. He’s the difference. If this happens, his arrival from Toronto automatically becomes one of the biggest additions in the NBA over the last 20 years.
DEEP TRIPLES.
CRAFTY FINISHES.
NO-LOOK DIMES.An UNFORGETTABLE night from Tyrese Haliburton to secure a WINNER-TAKE-ALL GAME 7 🤩 pic.twitter.com/ypEJCiKeR7
— NBA (@NBA) June 20, 2025
If not for an untimely calf strain, he’d be higher on this list. Nonetheless, Haliburton remains a favorite because his overall play in this series trumps his four-point, injury-marred Game 5. The Pacers won three games in which Haliburton’s contributions were crucial.
With a sparkling Game 7, Haliburton can claim Finals MVP, and given his streak of heroism in the playoffs, he’s certainly capable of dramatics. Everything depends on his health and if he has one more game-changing big shot in his bag.
T.J.'s HISTORIC GAME 6 FROM EVERY ANGLE 👀
Joined Robert Horry with the only 10p/5a/5r/4s Finals games off the bench since 1973-74 🤯🤯
WHAT DOES MCCONNELL HAVE IN STORE FOR GAME 7 ON SUNDAY??? pic.twitter.com/VUBbUWXrCe
— NBA (@NBA) June 20, 2025
His case: McConnell came off the bench, went turbo the last two games and put the Pacers in position to win both. They only managed a split, to no fault of McConnell, whose energy in this series is serving to uplift his team and change the tempo of games.
He’s had golden moments — stealing inbounds passes, driving for mid-range jumpers — and provided the Pacers with some insurance for Haliburton and other Pacers guards when they turned chilly. If he makes Game 7-winning plays Sunday, he’ll certainly collect votes for series MVP.
* * *
Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.
