The NBA Finals Game 7 Duel That Never Was

Sunday night’s victory of the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, 103-91, marked the end of the 2024-2025 season.

It was also a coronation of sorts, as for much of this season, everything had pointed toward the Thunder winning the NBA championship, according to Zach Harper at The Athletic. OKC dominated in historic fashion, finishing first in the Western Conference with 68 wins during the regular season, and a lead of 16 games.

The only thing that might have had observers questioning was the unprecedented youth of the team while playing at this level.

And yet, Sunday’s Game 7 victory also might have felt deflating for many viewers. And even a bit hollow for many basketball fans outside of the OKC fan base, Harper says.

That’s because of what happened seven minutes into the game. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who had been nursing a calf strain for days, took a bad step and immediately hit the ground. He started yelling “No!” And many might have been able to tell immediately what happened.

Haliburton’s father confirmed to ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters during the game that it was an Achilles injury.

The game was tied at 16 when Haliburton fell and turned the ball over due to the injury. And the Pacers were down by two when he left the game, carried from the court to the locker room.

Perhaps the critical thing, however, was that Haliburton was dominating the Thunder, Harper says. He had three 3-pointers in the first seven minutes of the game, shot from all over.

While typically scoring is very tight in a Game 7 because nerves are especially rattled, Haliburton looked loose and ready to go, Harper says. Prepared, even, to embrace 48 minutes of clutch moments. But he never got the chance.

The Thunder still could have absolutely won the game even if Haliburton had stayed healthy. OKC point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, now the NBA Finals MVP, had 29 points (8-of-27 shooting) and 12 assists. He could have outdueled Haliburton throughout a full game.

We just didn’t get to see that great finish, says Harper. The one that to many might have seemed inevitable in Game 7’s first seven minutes.