Thunder’s One-Two Punch Too Much For Pacers, Puts OKC On Cusp Of Title

Jalen Williams may have entered the Finals as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s running mate. But after Game 5, he’s threatening to steal the spotlight altogether.

In a performance that showed his rapid ascent into NBA stardom, Williams scored a playoff-career-high 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting to power the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers and a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals.

The Thunder needed all of it. Indiana had trimmed a 15-point deficit to just two midway through the fourth, but Williams answered with a decisive three-pointer from the right wing with 8:06 remaining. From there, Oklahoma City never looked back, outscoring Indiana 23-14 the rest of the way.

“He’s been doing it all year,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of Williams. “Now the world’s seeing it.”

Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points, 10 assists, four blocks and two steals, continuing a Finals run that has cemented his status as one of the game’s elite. But for the first time in this series, it was Williams who delivered the knockout punch.

It marked his third straight game with at least 25 points and five rebounds — a feat not seen in the Finals by a player under 25 since Shaquille O’Neal in 1995, per ESPN Research.

“I’ve always believed I can play at this level,” Williams said. “But doing it in the Finals, that’s different.”

The Pacers, meanwhile, were left to wonder what might have been — and to worry about the health of their star point guard.

Tyrese Haliburton re-aggravated a lower-leg injury in the first quarter, briefly leaving the game before returning with a wrap around his right calf. He was clearly limited, finishing with just four points on 0-for-6 shooting — marking the first scoreless first half of his playoff career and the first time he’s failed to make a field goal in a postseason game.

“He gutted it out, but we could see he wasn’t himself,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.

Haliburton added seven rebounds and six assists, but Indiana will likely need a healthy version of its floor general to extend the series. Game 6 is set for Friday in Indianapolis.

What to Watch in Game 6

Haliburton’s status looms large over Indiana’s chances. The Pacers were outscored by 13 points in his 34 minutes in Game 5 and stayed within reach only thanks to backup guard T.J. McConnell, who delivered 18 points and four assists in 22 minutes off the bench.

With the season on the line, Carlisle may have to consider tough rotation decisions. Playing McConnell alongside Haliburton compromises Indiana’s perimeter defense. It also often means removing one of Aaron Nesmith or Andrew Nembhard, the Pacers’ top wing stoppers. If Haliburton remains limited, the Pacers could be forced to shift Nembhard to lead guard and lean more heavily on Bennedict Mathurin, whose rebounding helped despite a cold shooting night.

For the Thunder, the focus shifts to finishing the job. Head coach Mark Daigneault once again turned to Alex Caruso as his trusted fifth starter, inserting him just 44 seconds into the second half in place of Isaiah Hartenstein. Caruso joined the Thunder’s core four to spark a 10-0 run that helped close out Game 5.

Oklahoma City has lost back-to-back games only twice all season and would return home for a potential Game 7 if needed. Still, the Thunder would be wise to treat Friday like a must-win.

The last time the Finals went the distance was 2016, and that one ended in an upset.