Game 5 began to mirror Game 1 — Oklahoma City built a commanding lead at home, only for Indiana to mount a fierce fourth-quarter comeback.
Back in Game 1, the Pacers completed the rally. This time, the Thunder held firm.
Powered by Jalen Williams’ playoff career-high 40 points and 31 more from MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City held off Indiana 120–109 on Monday night to take a 3–2 lead in the NBA Finals — putting them just one win away from a championship.
“We’re growing,” Williams said after the game. His previous postseason high was 34 points.
It marked the 10th time — and the most important — that Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander have combined for over 70 points in a game. Williams shot 14-for-24 from the field, while Gilgeous-Alexander also dished out 10 assists.
“Far from a perfect game,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “But the leap we made from Game 4 to Game 5 was huge.”
