via Carl Aredidon, Pressroom PH
The Pacers failed to forecast J-Dub's storm.
Jalen Williams steered the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC), pushing the series to the brink as they blitzed past the Indiana Pacers (IND), 120-109, in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals held at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma on June 17.
Williams led the electrifying win with his playoff career-high 40 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while regular season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
"When I walked into it, my mindset was just go in to these and not kind of like stepping in, just jumping in and I thought I've really done a good job today, just living with the result and playing aggressive." said Williams on how he approached every game.
It was all Thunder in the opening frame as they took the driver’s seat and floored it with an 11-3 run, capped off by SGA's coast-to-coast buckets under seven minutes.
The first-seeded team kept their foot on the gas in the second quarter, stonewalling Indiana's scoring chances, complemented by Williams' scoring avalanche, to seal the first half with a comfortable 14-point lead, 59-45.
However, the veteran TJ McConnell broke the ice after he registered his 13-point career-high quarter scoring in the third, commanding the Pacers down to only an eight-point disadvantage.
The fourth period was a tug of war for both teams, but it was the Pacers who were prospering from the thrilling exchanges led by Pascal Siakam's efficient baskets under eight minutes to cut the lead to two.
Conversely, the Thunder struck hardest in the last minutes of the game, shrugging off the initial run made by the Pacers after Williams orchestrated the closing onslaught via his MVP-caliber scoring.
Siakam's consistent 28 points on six rebounds and five assists, coupled with TJ McConnell's magnificent 18 points on four rebounds and four assists, were not enough to overcome the ferocious foe.
OKC handed the Pacers its do-or-die game six that will take place on Indiana's territory on Friday.
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