One player in particular dominated for Oklahoma City Thunder in their 103-91 victory over Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals which took place Sunday, the 22nd of June.
With a 3-3 score heading into Sunday’s final showdown, it all came down to what happened on the paint at Paycom Center in Oklahoma. And though an early injury to Tyrese Haliburton, who was stretched off the court after just seven minutes, threatened to derail the Pacers, there was still a stand-out performance from TJ McConnell to push the Thunder close.
It was Chet Holmgren, though, whose exploits saw him set a new record as his five blocks are the most in Game 7 of the NBA Finals since the stat was first tracked in 1974; 51 years ago.
Holmgren’s other contributions included 18 points and eight rebounds from 31 minutes of play. And while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a clear case for the MVP of the entire series, with 29 points, 12 assists, and five rebounds from Game 7 alone, the Thunder may not have been able to beat a resilient Pacers on the final game if it weren’t for Holmgren.
“I’m proud of myself for never quitting,” Holmgren said on ESPN after his Thunder team had become NBA champions.
“Broken bones, bruises. It’s all temporary. But this is forever.”
Holmgren was referencing the journey it took him to reach this stage of his career as, though he was always one of Thunder’s highest picks in recent years, he injured his foot before his rookie year had begun and was forced to the sidelines throughout that season in 2022. Regardless, he worked hard, he recovered from the injury, and played increasingly better throughout each season, which has now culminated in his record-setting performance when it mattered most.
Both he, and Thunder, earned their first NBA championship together.
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