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Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Pacers and Thunder at Paycom Center is underway. The series is tied 2-2 following a dramatic Thunder comeback in Game 4.
The Thunder led for nearly the entire first half and were up 14 points at halftime thanks to some stifling defense, forcing 10 Pacers turnovers and holding Indiana to 33 percent shooting. Can Oklahoma City take its first series lead by winning a pivotal Game 5 on home court?
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All things considered, I think it could be a whole lot worse for the Pacers?
Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins have each three of their four 3-point attempts to combine for 18 first-half points, which is more than Pascal Siakam (10 points) and Tyrese Haliburton (0 points) had in the first half, and they're only down by 14 points at the half.
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Halftime – Thunder 59, Pacers 45
Tony Bradley gets fouled and makes two free throws to make it a 13-point game but Cason Wallace responds with his third made 3 of the half. After a few offensive rebounds for Indiana on the other end, Bennedict Mathurin finally gets a reverse layup to go making it a 14-point game at the break.
Jalen Williams’ aggression continues, scoring 16 points on 6-12 shooting and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has 13 points to go with five assists. The duo of Aaron Wiggins and Wallace has 18 points, shooting 6-8 from deep.
Pascal Siakam leads Indiana with 10 points on 3-8 shooting and Tyrese Haliburton remains scoreless as he battles a leg injury.
Another example of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trusting his teammates and making the extra pass to a lifting Cason Wallace for 3. He would have forced that shot in Games 3 or 4.
Gotta love Tony Bradley saying, "Hey I can run, too!" … then getting stuffed by the MVP.
Oklahoma City has not quite learned how to rebound missed free throws…
But that's two more missed free throws for Bennedict Mathurin, and then he misses at the rim as well.
Important reminder that when Tyrese Haliburton gets injured in the postseason, Andrew Nembhard turns into Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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That's the second time Andrew Nembhard has ran through a tackle from Alex Caruso for an and-one bucket in this series.
Chet Holmgren has single-handedly wrecked the Pacers' offense. That sequence of rim protection was incredible.
Q2 2:29 – Thunder 56, Pacers 38
A 3 by Jalen Williams briefly makes it a 16-point game before Obi Toppin gets an easy dunk off a broken possession.
Chet Holmgren then converts a short shot and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets to the line. The MVP a pair to make it an 18-point game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander blocks continue to astound me. I don't know how he manages to get to some of these blocks.
Chet Holmgren, Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams have all made catch-and-shoot 3-pointers in the first half of Game 5.
Those three combined to make only two catch-and-shoot 3s in the first four games of the 2025 NBA Finals.
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In addition to all of his other skills, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be the best low-man guard shot blocker since Dwyane Wade in his heyday.
The Thunder are doing a good job going at Myles Turner now that he is limping, trying to get him to veer switch onto the ball when he is in drop coverage on pick-and-rolls and then letting J Dub hit him with the half-spin hesi move to catch him flat footed and get to the rim for the foul.
Isaiah Hartenstein, with a towel draped over his back, is at the entryway of the tunnel, testing out the mobility of his right knee with a member of the Thunder training staff nearby.
He's now back near the bench watching the game with his teammates. This has been the latest in your emergency Hartenstein updates.
To Eric's point earlier, my Lakers fan father compared Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Kobe Bryant earlier this series, and I told him he was crazy.
I just texted my dad to apologize after that SGA shot.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might have the best spatial awareness of any player in the NBA. The way he's able to create space and control his body to get any look he wants is masterful.
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One of the big adjustments the Thunder have made since halftime of Game 4: They've been unafraid to switch pretty much anyone onto Tyrese Haliburton. Even their centers are switching in certain situations. They have made the decision to live with Haliburton beating them off the dribble if it means stagnating Indiana's flow.
In Game 4, Haliburton made them pay with a couple straight-line drives in the fourth quarter. That still didn't change Indy's strategy because it was the lesser of many evils.
Tonight, Haliburton hasn't made anyone pay and Indiana's offense is stagnating.
Q2 5:22 – Thunder 47, Pacers 32
Tough bucket from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He isolates against Pascal Siakam late in the shot clock and gets forced into a difficult middy. But it's no problem for the MVP, as he hits nothing but nylon from 15 feet out.
Aaron Nesmith just saved Pascal Siakam from a fifth turnover. Nesmith was wide open on a baseline cut to the basket. Siakam, smothered by Jalen Williams on defense, through the pass at Nesmith's feet. But Nesmith scrambled for the loose ball and it would up being a jump ball. The possession ended with a Pacers shot clock violation. So while Siakam didn't get his fifth, Indiana got its 11th turnover of the first half.
