Camille Naredo

Alex Caruso #9, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 and Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on during the game against the Denver Nuggets during Round 2 Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Garrett Ellwood, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 13: Alex Caruso #9, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 and Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on during the game against the Denver Nuggets during Round 2 Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE   Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Garrett Ellwood / NBAE / Getty Images / Getty Images via AFP)

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2025 NBA Playoffs - Denver Nuggets v Oklahoma City Thunder - Game Five

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1749441579605AFP__20250514__2214380749__v1__Preview__2025NbaPlayoffsDenverNuggetsVOklahomaCityThu.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Alex Caruso #9, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 and Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on during the game against the Denver Nuggets during Round 2 Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Garrett Ellwood, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Alex Caruso #9, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 and Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on during the game against the Denver Nuggets during Round 2 Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. <em>Garrett Ellwood, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP </em></span></span></span></div><p>LOS ANGELES -- The Oklahoma City Thunder, fueled by an efficient 34 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, thumped the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday, punching back hard to level the NBA Finals at one game apiece.</p><p>NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander connected on 11 of 21 shots and added five rebounds, eight assists and four of Oklahoma City&#x27;s 10 steals as the Thunder bounced back from an agonizing game one defeat on their home floor.</p><p>Jalen Williams added 19 points, and center Chet Holmgren bounced back from a lackluster six-point game one to score 15 points with six rebounds for the Thunder, who limited Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton to 17 points, three rebounds and six assists with five turnovers.</p><p>Haliburton, who drilled the last-gasp game-winner for Indiana in their 111-110 series opening triumph, had just five points through the first three quarters.</p><p>Despite his 12 points in the fourth, the Pacers never looked like mounting the kind of comeback that saw them erase a 15-point fourth quarter deficit in game one.</p><p>&quot;We know with them (defense) is where it starts,&quot; Gilgeous-Alexander said. &quot;They&#x27;re a high powered offense, they play fast, score a bunch of points and if you don&#x27;t get stops you end up running all game and they can beat you that way.&quot;</p><p>With their latest bounce-back performance, the Thunder denied the Pacers the 2-0 lead they had grabbed in their three prior series, climbing back on even terms as the best-of-seven championship showdown heads to Indianapolis for games three and four on Wednesday and Friday.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- &#x27;Game of ups and downs&#x27; -</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G-uccuqoiac?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>&quot;We did some good things tonight,&quot; Gilgeous-Alexander said. &quot;We did some things bad and we&#x27;ve got to be able to get better, get ready for game three.&quot;</p><p>Alex Caruso scored 20 points off the bench and fellow reserve Aaron Wiggins made five three-pointers on the way to 18 for the Thunder, who closed a back-and-forth first quarter on a 9-0 run to lead 26-20.</p><p>Holmgren punctuated the period with a three-pointer and Oklahoma City only ramped up the pressure in the second.</p><p>Another 9-0 run included a three-pointer from Williams off a feed from Holmgren and a Holmgren dunk.</p><p>After Wiggins drilled a step-back three-pointer, Gilgeous-Alexander drove for a reverse layup that pushed the Thunder lead to 52-29.</p><p>The turnovers that bedevilled the Pacers in game one began to creep up again, but Indiana offered a glimpse of just how dangerous they can be as they reeled off 10 unanswered points to slice the deficit to 13 before Oklahoma pulled away again to lead 59-41 at halftime.</p><p>The Thunder took a 93-74 lead into the fourth and were up by 22 after a three-pointer from Wiggins on a possession kept alive by three offensive rebounds.</p><p>Haliburton finally started to heat up, making three straight Pacers baskets, but his driving dunk with 8:12 remaining only cut the deficit to 20.</p><p>Myles Turner added 16 points and Pascal Siakam had 15 as seven Pacers players scored in double figures, but the Thunder maintained their record of not losing back-to-back games in these playoffs.</p><p>&quot;Basketball, it&#x27;s a game of ups and downs,&quot; Gilgeous-Alexander said. &quot;The season&#x27;s full of ups and downs. The series is full of ups and downs.</p><p>&quot;The team that can stay level headed and get better throughout the experiences is going to come out on top.&quot; -- Rebecca Bryan</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>The Oklahoma City Thunder, fueled by an efficient 34 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, thumped the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday, punching back hard to level the NBA Finals at one game apiece.</p>

The Oklahoma City Thunder, fueled by an efficient 34 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, thumped the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday, punching back hard to level the NBA Finals at one game apiece.

Thunder rumble to 123-107 win over Pacers to level NBA Finals

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Thunder rumble to 123-107 win over Pacers to level NBA Finals

Agence France-Presse

Published June 09, 2025 12:00 PM PHT

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