On a momentous Sunday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder culminated their impressive season by triumphing over the Indiana Pacers in a grueling seven-game NBA Finals series, signaling their arrival as a dominant force in the league. With an average age under 26, the Thunder secured the Larry O’Brien trophy, capping off a remarkable season that saw them win 84 games, a significant leap from just 24 wins three years prior. This rapid ascent underscores General Manager Sam Presti’s philosophy, encapsulated by the Latin motto “Labor omnia vincit,” meaning “hard work conquers all” or “slow work conquers all.”

Game 7 of the Finals was a tightly contested affair, indicative of the back-and-forth nature of the entire series. Disaster struck for the Pacers early on when their star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, crucial to their postseason comeback wins, suffered a non-contact Achilles injury to his lower right leg. Despite this devastating blow, the Pacers, led by Eastern Conference Finals MVP Pascal Siakam and a tenacious defense, rallied to take a surprising 48-47 lead into halftime, showcasing immense grit and resilience. Coach Rick Carlisle praised his team’s toughness, noting their ability to battle and cut deficits even when facing seemingly insurmountable odds.

As the adrenaline subsided, the young Thunder squad began to assert their dominance in the third quarter. A crucial sequence saw the game tied at 56-56 transform into a nine-point OKC lead, fueled by three consecutive long-range shots from their “Big 3”: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams. From that point, the Thunder, who boasted the league’s best defense in the regular season, tightened their grip. They held the short-handed Pacers scoreless for the first 4 minutes and 31 seconds of the fourth quarter, extending their lead to 22 points. While Indiana showed trademark determination, reducing the deficit to 10 points late in the game, the absence of Haliburton proved too great a mountain to climb. The Thunder ultimately won Game 7 with a final score of 103-91.

Individual brilliance shone brightly for Oklahoma City. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a game-high 29 points and earned Finals MVP honors, making him the first player since LeBron James in 2013 to win both regular season and Finals MVP awards. He also joined an elite group of only three other players—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O’Neal—to win the league MVP trophy, the scoring title, and the Finals in the same season. Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on his childhood dream, stating, “It doesn’t feel real. So many hours, so many moments, so many emotions… It’s crazy to know we are all here. But this group worked for it and this group put in the hours and deserved this.”

Chet Holmgren also played a pivotal role in the victory, displaying supreme domination on both ends of the court. He finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks, setting an NBA Finals Game 7 record for blocks, and becoming the youngest player since Tim Duncan with over 10 blocks in a Finals. Holmgren shot efficiently, going 6-of-8 from the field. His defensive partner, Isaiah Hartenstein, contributed seven points, nine boards, and four assists. The Thunder’s defense was indeed a championship-winning factor, with 14 steals and eight blocks in Game 7, forcing 21 turnovers and generating 32 points off those turnovers.

The victory was also a testament to the passionate support of Oklahoma City’s fans, known for their deafening home crowd. Despite being a small market team, their loyal fanbase, who often stood for the majority of the historic Game 7, created a palpable home-court advantage. Their continuous chants of “OKC!” and “Defense!” fueled the team’s performance. Coach Mark Daigneault expressed his joy for his deserving team, stating, “I just wanted it so bad for them. I was just so thrilled that we were able to get that done and they get to experience this because they deserve it.”

Looking ahead, the Thunder’s championship victory is just the beginning of what promises to be a period of sustained dominance. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren—all still young and not yet in their prime—under contract, the team boasts considerable room for individual and collective growth. They also possess a war chest of draft picks, including a 2024 lottery pick in Nikola Topic, who missed this season due to injury, and significant financial flexibility. As Sam Presti declared, “We have a lot of hard work in front of us,” reinforcing the idea that while they have conquered all for now, there is still more work to be done to defend their newly acquired title and cement their legacy in NBA history.