Thunder vs. Pacers: Jalen Williams explodes to fend off Indiana rally as OKC takes 3-2 NBA Finals lead
This time, Indiana's rally fell short.
The Indiana Pacers cut an 18-point first-half deficit to two points in the fourth quarter Monday night. But the Oklahoma City Thunder did not relent and held on for a 120-109 win in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Advertisement
With the win, the Thunder take a 3-2 series lead and stand one win away from securing the franchise's first NBA championship since it moved to Oklahoma City. They have Jalen Williams to thank for where they stand.
The third-year forward exploded for a playoff career-high 40 points to lead Oklahoma City to another gritty Finals win. It was the third straight game in which Williams has scored 26 points. His buckets were big Monday night and repeatedly thwarted Pacers efforts to take control of the game.
None were bigger than a 3-pointer with 8:06 remaining in the the fourth quarter. A Pascal Siakam 3 on the other end had just cut Oklahoma City's lead to 95-93 and resurrected memories of the Thunder's Game 1 collapse that allowed the Pacers to take a stunning 1-0 series lead.
Siakam attacked the bucket in response, but missed a tough layup in traffic. But Cason Wallace secured the offensive rebound, and the ball made its way back to Williams on the right wing. This time he didn't miss.
Advertisement
Williams drilled a 3 to extend Oklahoma City's lead back to five points, and a Cason Wallace steal and layup pushed it to 100-97, forcing an Indiana timeout.
From there, the Pacers never threatened again on a night where star guard Tyrese Haliburton was a non-factor while playing on an injured right calf.
Tyrese Haliburton doesn't hit a field goal
Tyrese Haliburton struggled through a first quarter in which he missed the only two shots that he attempted. He left briefly for the locker room after a scoreless first quarter and returned with a wrap around his right calf.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported at halftime that Haliburton was dealing with calf tightness.
Advertisement
Haliburton continued to play and appeared to move well despite the injury after returning. But he was not on his game. He finished first half scoreless after missing all five of his field goals. He didn't score his first points until a pair of free throws with 7:07 remaining in the third quarter.
He missed all six of his field goals for the game.
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more from Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Real Madrid legend gives take on Xabi Alonso appointment
The Club World Cup in the United States is heating up as top teams begin to take centre stage. While top clubs like Manchester City and Real Madrid are still waiting for their turn, one side that has already caught attention is Mexican outfit Monterrey. The team is generating buzz not for their performances but because of one big name in their squad, who is former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos. Advertisement Ahead of Monterrey's much-anticipated match against Inter Milan, Ramos spoke to the media and shared his thoughts on a range of topics. One name that naturally came up was Xabi Alonso, the former midfield general who is now leading Real Madrid as their new manager. Alonso is the right fit Ramos had nothing but praise for Alonso, highlighting his experience both on and off the pitch. 'Xabi Alonso is an interesting addition to Real Madrid. As a player, he won everything and knows how to manage a club,' Ramos said. Ramos feels Xabi Alonso is the right man for Real Madrid. (Photo by) Advertisement His words carry weight, considering the history they shared and the level of trust Ramos has in Alonso's leadership abilities. He also touched on the club's status in world football. 'Real Madrid is always the favourite in every competition. Because of their level, their players, their mentality,' he added. It is a statement many would agree with, as the Spanish giants often rise to the occasion when it matters most. When asked about the possibility of facing Real Madrid in the tournament, Ramos offered a light-hearted response. 'If we don't meet, all the better. We'll save ourselves the disappointment,' he laughed. Advertisement 'It would be an undeniable pleasure. I'd rather see them meet someone else. I prefer Atletico de Madrid, but we're going to focus on getting through the group stage first,' he added. Source: Mundo Deportivo
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Report: Why Adam Schefter Was 'Banned' From Pat McAfee Show
Report: Why Adam Schefter Was 'Banned' From Pat McAfee Show originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Over the past couple of years, The Pat McAfee Show has exploded in popularity on the ESPN networks, turning into one of the flagship morning talk shows on the network with an ability to land guests spanning from Aaron Rodgers and LeBron James to Tom Cruise and Bill Burr. Advertisement It appears, according to a recent report, though, that one of the top recurring guests for McAfee is no longer going to be coming on the show, by the choice of the host. According to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, McAfee has "essentially banned ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter from his program since March." Schefter hasn't been on the program since that month. "One afternoon, McAfee wanted Schefter on his program," Marchand reports. "Schefter was appearing on an ESPN2 free agency special and was unable to make it. Schefter, formerly a McAfee Show regular, has been banished ever since." © MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images In the meantime, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's newest NFL addition, Peter Schrager, have become regulars on the show. Advertisement After pressed on the reported ban, Schefter's camp reportedly told The Athletic that he would be returning to the show in the near future after over a month-long hiatus. Whether there is actual bad blood between the host and the renowned NFL reporter is unclear, but for a long while it was apparent that the two were not on the same page with things, and the viewer ended up losing out. Hopefully the two are able to rekindle things and get Schefter back on the airwaves consistently going forward as we prepare for the upcoming NFL season. Related: Pat McAfee Calls Out Adam Schefter For Oversight Ahead of 2025 NFL Combine This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Oregon Ducks Pull Off Recruiting Victory With Much-Needed Addition
Oregon Ducks Pull Off Recruiting Victory With Much-Needed Addition originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Oregon Ducks have been struggling on the recruiting trail this year more than normal, but they got things going in the rigth direction on Friday with a big-time addition. Advertisement 4-star wide reciever Messiah Hampton announced his commitment to the Ducks, choosing Oregon over the likes of Syracuse, Penn State, Miami, and Ohio State. Hampton is rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 102 player in the 2026 class, and the No. 11 WR. He is also the No. 1 ranked player in New York. For Dan Lanning and his staff, this is a big addition. It is the first commitment they've gotten since landing 5-star EDGE Richard Wesley, who ended up decommitting just 17 days after jumping into a pool with the head coach to make his announcement. Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Before Hampton's commitment, Oregon had the No. 42 class in the 2026 cycle. With the addition of Hampton, they move up to No. 33 in the nation, which is still a far cry from the top-five classes that Lanning has landed in Eugene recently, but it's a step in the right direction. Advertisement Things could improve more on that front soon, too. Oregon hosted six 5-star players on official visits last weekend, and they have another long-list of blue-chip players in town this weekend, including 5-star QB Ryder Lyons. Hampton is the first WR to commit to Oregon in this cycle, but the Ducks are also in on guys like Calvin Russell, Chris Henry Jr., and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, as well. While the latter two are committed to Ohio State, Oreogn is still pushing hard in their recruitment until signing day comes in December. Related: Oregon Ducks Looking to Flip Elite 11 QB From Regional Rival This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
