Jalen Williams Drops 40 Points as Thunder Defeat Pacers in Game 5, Take 3-2 NBA Finals Lead
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder are just one win away from their first-ever NBA championship after a thrilling 120-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
Jalen Williams delivered a career playoff-high 40 points, while MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points and 10 assists, helping the Thunder regain control of the series with a 3-2 lead. The dynamic duo combined to score or assist on 103 total points — the most by any pair in an NBA Finals game over the past 50 years, according to ESPN Research.
“We’re learning,” said Williams, whose previous postseason best was 34 points.
“That was honestly the same exact game as Game 1,” he added. “Learning through these finals, that’s what makes a team good.”
Game 5 initially followed a familiar script: the Thunder built an 18-point lead, only for the Pacers to surge back late in the game, much like they did in their Game 1 comeback win. This time, however, Oklahoma City responded with resilience, closing strong to seal the victory.
Head coach Mark Daigneault emphasized the importance of the team’s growth:
“It wasn’t a perfect game, and there’s still a lot of room for growth,” he said. “But our improvement from Game 4 to Game 5 was critical.”
Indiana’s Pascal Siakam scored 28 points, and TJ McConnell added 18 off the bench. Despite trailing by double digits, the Pacers cut the lead to just two points in the fourth quarter. However, their efforts fell short as the Thunder surged ahead once more.
The Pacers played much of the game without a fully healthy Tyrese Haliburton, who re-aggravated a leg injury early on and was limited throughout.
“He’s not 100%,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle confirmed. “It’s pretty clear.”
Despite the loss, Siakam remained optimistic:
“It kind of went away from us, but the fight was there.”
Historically, Game 5 has been pivotal in NBA Finals series tied 2-2. Teams winning Game 5 in that scenario have gone on to win the championship 74% of the time. Teams leading 3-2 overall in the Finals boast an 82% series win rate.
Game 6 will be hosted by the Pacers on Thursday night, where they’ll fight to force a decisive Game 7.
With the win, the Thunder improved their record in Finals games where they led by 15+ points to 81-9 since 1997. Now, Oklahoma City stands just one victory away from securing its first NBA title.
