Thunder Rumors

Thunder Notes: SGA, Daigneault, Game 7, Pacers

June 20th, 2025 at 11:18pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Thunder collapsed in Game 6 of their ongoing NBA Finals series against Indiana on Friday, with the final score of 108-91 not nearly reflective of how grisly things got. The Pacers led by as many as 31 points, while the Thunder went 8-for-30 from distance and turned the ball over a whopping 21 times.

Now, the series is knotted up as it returns to Oklahoma City for a conclusive Game 7 on Sunday.

According to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, MVP Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is doing his darnedest to shake off a disappointing night.

“One game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Winner takes all. Give it your best shot. Bring your ‘A’ game. I don’t try to complicate it.”

Gilgeous-Alexander submitted his worst performance of the Finals in Game 6, though he put up 21 points, which was still the highest scoring output for a Thunder player.

“The way I see it is, we sucked tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after accounting for eight of his team’s turnovers. “We can learn our lessons. We have one game for everything, for everything we’ve worked for, and so do they. The better team Sunday will win.”

There’s more out of Oklahoma City:

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault contends that his team’s face-plant, in what could have been a closeout game, was not reflective of who they have been in the playoffs so far, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “From our standpoint, it was uncharacteristic,” Daigneault said. “It was disappointing. It was collective. It wasn’t one guy. Just we were not where we needed to be on either end of the floor for much of the game. We have to be a lot better before Game 7.”
The stakes for the Thunder to wrap up an historic 68-game regular season with a franchise-first championship (at least, in Oklahoma City) are monumental. Per Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Gilgeous-Alexander thinks that a Game 7 loss in the Finals would be just as disappointing as, say, as a second-round defeat. Without a championship, he would view the season as a failure. “I see it as the same thing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “In round two, if we had lost, I would have been just as disappointed. We would have went home and our season would have been over. If we lose (on Sunday), the season is over in the wrong way. Either way, I would have been extremely disappointed, so I don’t think it’s any different.”
By botching Game 6 against the Pacers, the Thunder have stumbled into a do-or-die contest Sunday, where anything can happen, notes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscriber link). There’s no room for error anymore. Oklahoma City struggled to even contain Indiana’s top reserves in the game, Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell. Toppin scored a Pacers-best 20 points, while McConnell notched 12 points, nine boards, six assists and four steals.

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Siakam, McConnell, Game 7

June 20th, 2025 at 7:52am CST by Luke Adams

Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton received a “wide range” of treatments in an effort to get him ready for Game 6 of the NBA Finals, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN, who says those treatments included hyperbaric chambers, needles, massages, electronic stimulation, and a compression sleeve on Haliburton’s calf.

Fortunately for the Pacers, they raced out to a big first-half lead on Thursday and extended that lead in the third quarter, putting them in position to hold Haliburton out of the fourth quarter and reduce his workload for the night. He had 14 points and five assists in 23 minutes, with Indiana outscoring the Thunder by 25 points when he was on the court.

“He did amazing,” Pacers forward Obi Toppin said after the victory, per Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic. “He led us to a win, and he’s a soldier. He’s not going to let no little injury hold him back from playing in the finals and helping this team win. He’s helped us get to this point, and he’s going to keep going until he can’t.”

Haliburton was listed as questionable on the Game 6 injury report and was considered a game-time decision on Thursday, but multiple teammates – including Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner – said they had no doubt the All-NBA guard would be on the court when the game tipped off.

“I just look at it as I want to be out there to compete with my brothers,” Haliburton said, according to Taylor. “We’ve had such a special year, and we have a special bond as a group. I think I’d beat myself up if I didn’t give it a chance. I just want to be out there and fight. (I) just had to have an honest conversation with Coach (Rick Carlisle) that if I didn’t look like myself and was hurting the team, like, sit me down. Obviously, I want to be on the floor, but I want to win more than anything.”

Here’s more on the Pacers on the heels of their Game 6 victory:

As big a role as Haliburton has played to get the Pacers to this point, Siakam actually looks like the frontrunner to be named Finals MVP if Indiana can pull out a win in Game 7, notes Sam Amick of The Athletic. The veteran forward, who put an exclamation point on a huge second quarter with a poster dunk over Jalen Williams and a buzzer-beating fadeaway, won a title in Toronto, but feels like he has grown significantly as a player and a leader since that 2019 championship. “I wasn’t a leader then,” Siakam said. “… I think this time around, just having been one of the only guys that has been there or one of the few guys that has been there, and I’m year nine or 10 or whatever, it’s like I have way more to say and I can impact not only by saying things but also on the floor.”
With another big performance in Game 6, Pacers guard T.J. McConnell became the only player in league history to record at least 60 points, 25 assists, 15 rebounds, and 10 steals off the bench in an NBA Finals, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. However, McConnell’s impact goes beyond the box score. “Any time he comes into the game, the crowd loves him, and he feeds off of that,” Toppin said. “He had a great start to (Thursday’s) game, and it got us going. Brought juice into the game, energy into the game.”
While the Pacers will carry the momentum from their resounding Game 6 victory into Sunday’s Game 7, they know they’ll still be significant underdogs in Oklahoma City against the 68-win Thunder, as Zak Keefer of The Athletic details. They also know that anything can happen in a single game. “One game,” Carlisle said on Thursday. “This is what it’s all about. This is what you dream about growing up, this opportunity.”
Stephen Holder of ESPN spoke to former Pacers like Metta Sandiford-Artest, Lance Stephenson, Stephen Jackson, and Rik Smits about what it would mean to them – and to the city – if this Indiana squad can win a championship on Sunday. “This franchise really deserves it,” Smits said. “We had a lot of great years, but obviously never made it this far. So, I’m just happy for the team, the owners, the whole city. It’s a great fan base here. I’ve always loved playing here, so I would love to see a championship.”

Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Will Play In Game 6

June 19th, 2025 at 7:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

7:40 pm: Doctors informed Haliburton that his calf ailment would normally take multiple weeks to recover, per Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter). Given the stakes, the Pacers guard pushed to play.

5:52 pm: All-NBA Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton will suit up for Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Thunder on Thursday night, head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters (Twitter link via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press). Carlisle added that Haliburton won’t face any sort of minutes limit (Twitter link via Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports).

It had previously been reported that the 25-year-old Olympian intended to give it a go, but his availability had not been confirmed. Haliburton had been considered a game-time decision to play through a right calf strain incurred in the first half of Monday’s Game 5, a 120-109 loss.

The defeat marked the first time Indiana had lost two consecutive games during its postseason run to the Finals this spring.

Across 21 contests in his second-ever playoffs, Haliburton has averaged 17.9 points, 9.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Those numbers dipped a little in Game 5 when the former Iowa State star attempted to play through the calf injury.

Haliburton failed to connect on a single field goal attempt on Monday, finishing with four points on 0-of-6 shooting. He did chip in seven rebounds and six assists.

Indiana, playing in its first Finals since 2000, now returns to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on the brink of elimination. The Pacers trail the Thunder 3-2 in the series.

Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault, in his own pregame presser, anticipated that Haliburton would give it his all, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (via Twitter).

“We’re expecting his best punch,” Daigneault said. “Indiana’s a great team, we’re expecting their best punch.”

Thunder Notes: SGA, Title Path, Market Size, Jalen Williams, K. Williams

June 19th, 2025 at 7:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Now leading Indiana 3-2 in the NBA Finals, the Thunder and their All-NBA point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are on the cusp of securing their first title in Oklahoma City. Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscriber link) unpacks what that would mean for the team, Gilgeous-Alexander, All-NBA forward Jalen Williams, big man Chet Holmgren, team owner Clay Bennett, longtime general manager Sam Presti, head coach Mark Daigneault, and more.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s already one of the most NBA’s most efficient scoring guards, can still be maximized as a distributor by Oklahoma City, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Grange observes that, over the last 40 years, only Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Durant have scored 2,400 or more points with a true shooting mark of .630 or better, both during their respective MVP seasons for the Thunder.

The 6’6″ guard continues to try to thread the needle when it comes to looking to score and looking to involve other players in the offense. Grange notes that Gilgeous-Alexander notched eight assists in Game 2 and 10 more in Game 5, but has had just seven total dimes in the other three games of the series.

There’s more out of Oklahoma City:

The Thunder’s consistent organizational infrastructure has helped the club return to the NBA Finals and reach the brink of a championship, observes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Presti has held his gig for 18 seasons and counting, while Bennett has proven to be a stabilizing force on the business front. Slater notes that the Thunder, who won just 24 games three years ago, have managed a remarkable turnaround back to contention.
The Thunder have hardly let being the league’s third-smallest market franchise limit their aspirations, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Rival executives are convinced that Oklahoma City spends extensively on its front office— its 88 basketball operations staffers lap the big-market Lakers’ 56. Vorkunov also notes that the team’s front office stability has been appealing to help the team retain talent.
Hall of Fame former Chicago forward Scottie Pippen has noticed the parallels between himself and All-NBA Thunder wing Jalen Williams, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Both were two-way standouts who blossomed next to more established scoring guards en route to Finals appearances. “He is pretty special,” Pippen told MacMahon. “I’m enjoying watching him. I see a lot of me in him for sure. I see a guy rising to be one of the top players in this league. He’s definitely a player that is capable of being able to lead that franchise to multiple championships — him and Shai, of course.”
In another piece for The Oklahoman (subscriber link), Mussatto examines Kenrich Williams‘ natural fit in Oklahoma City. Williams has now been with the Thunder longer than every player on the roster aside from Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort. “He’s an old head,” Dort said of Williams. “He has an old soul. You feel it every time you’re around him. His leadership has been big for us on and off the court.” Williams is in the second year of a four-season, $27.2MM deal with the club. Thanks to a deep backcourt, Daigneault has been deploying Williams in spot minutes throughout the playoffs. He’s been averaging 8.1 MPG in the 14 games he’s seen action.

NBA Finals Notes: Game 6, Daigneault, SGA, Haliburton

June 19th, 2025 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

With a chance to capture their first title since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City, Thunder players are focused on the process of winning Game 6 rather than its historical implications, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Heavy favorites when the series began, OKC has a chance to celebrate tonight on the Pacers‘ home court.

“We want to win the game tomorrow, but the most important thing we need to do to win the game tomorrow is prepare today and prepare tomorrow and play the first possession really well, then the next possession, then the next possession,” coach Mark Daigneault told reporters on Wednesday. “That’s how we try to approach a game, how we try to approach the playoff series, how we try to approach every single day and let that win the day.”

The Thunder have largely controlled the series after letting Game 1 slip away due to a miraculous Indiana comeback. They won handily in Game 2, staged a rally of their own in Game 4, then took their first lead of the series in Game 5. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is encouraging his teammates to take their normal approach to tonight’s game and not get distracted by thoughts of a victory celebration.

“The cusp of winning is not winning,” he said. “The way I see it, winning is all that matters. It hasn’t been fulfilled. We haven’t done anything.”

There’s more on the Finals:

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is considered to be a game-time decision, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst expects him to play. Appearing this morning on Get Up (YouTube link), Windhorst noted that Indiana’s medical staff already had the results of Haliburton’s MRI from Tuesday when the team listed him as questionable. He believes the Pacers are “setting the stage” for Haliburton to be active, but it’s uncertain if the right calf strain is too severe for him to be effective.
An ESPN panel doesn’t give the Pacers much chance of extending the series if Haliburton can’t live up to his normal standards. While most of the group expects the Finals to end tonight, Jamal Collier observes that Indiana’s role players have performed better at home, while Zach Kram points to Andrew Nembhard as someone who could swing the series if he can find a way to score like he did earlier in the playoffs.
With the Finals nearing their conclusion, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic examines why the games often seem less important than they used to. He cites a number of factors, including a “humdrum” presentation and the league-wide focus on the transactions cycle, and suggests that things may change when NBC resumes its coverage of the NBA this fall.

Thunder Notes: SGA, Williams, Wiggins, Finals MVP

June 18th, 2025 at 5:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heroic NBA Finals performances from Thunder All-Stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams have brought Oklahoma City to the brink of its first franchise championship since leaving Seattle, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

With MVP Gilgeous-Alexander still just 26 and Williams merely 24, the future is bright for this young Thunder squad.

Grange notes that Gilgeous-Alexander became the first player in NBA history to compile at least 31 points, 10 assists, four blocks, and two steals in a Finals game in Monday’s pivotal 120-109 win over Indiana, while Williams scored a whopping 40 points.

“He was, like, really gutsy tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander raved about Williams after Game 5. “Felt like every time we needed a shot, he made it. He wasn’t afraid. He was fearless tonight.”

There’s more out of Oklahoma City:

The Thunder’s role players are happy to sacrifice individual accomplishments to serve the greater whole, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. Beyond stars Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and center Chet Holmgren, role players Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins proved critical off the bench in Game 5, notching 25 combined points, to help Oklahoma City ice the victory. All-Defensive wings Luguentz Dort and Alex Caruso have been crucial on both ends of the hardwood throughout the series. “That’s the culture of our whole team,” Williams said. “Everybody is ready to do whatever it takes to win.”
Wiggins in particular has been a valuable contributor for the Thunder during the Finals on both sides of the ball. As Rylan Stiles of Thunder On SI observes, the fact that a former No. 55 draft pick can even have any kind of playoff impact is a great reflection on Oklahoma City’s developmental program.
Although Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 32.4 points, 5.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 1.8 blocks per night through five Finals games for the Thunder, Zach Harper of The Athletic wonders if an ascendant Williams could swipe the Finals MVP award from him with his terrific two-way play of late. Across the last three contests, including two Oklahoma City wins, Williams has averaged 31 points while shooting 50.8% from the field and 40% from distance.

Carlisle: Haliburton Likely ‘Game-Time Decision’ For Game 6

June 18th, 2025 at 11:44am CST by Dana Gauruder

11:44am: Haliburton confirmed after Wednesday’s light practice that he has a calf strain but he’s hopeful he can play in Game 6, Spears tweets.

“I’m a competitor. I want to play. I’m going to do everything in my power to play,” Haliburton said.

11:01 am: With his team’s season on the brink, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle anticipates that Tyrese Haliburton will be a “game-time decision” for Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star relays.

Carlisle commented on Haliburton’s status during a Wednesday morning radio interview on 107.5 The Fan.

“He is going to be carefully evaluated over the next 36 hours and will likely be listed as questionable on the injury report and probably will be a game-time decision for Game 6,” Carlisle said. “Everything is on the table.”

Haliburton did not make a field goal in Indiana’s Game 5 loss to Oklahoma City as the Thunder grabbed a 3-2 lead in the series. Game 6 will be played in Indianapolis. The star guard reportedly underwent an MRI on Tuesday due to an injury believed to be a right calf strain.

“We have to prepare for two scenarios: one where he plays and one where he does not,” Carlisle said.

Carlisle said rotation changes could be coming, regardless of Haliburton’s status. Indiana has lost the last two games of the series.

“Everything is on the table,” Carlisle said. “… It’s pretty simple. Tomorrow night our task is to take care of home court – which is what they did in Game 5 – and get to an ultimate game, which is Game 7. That’s the task in front of us. We have to figure out exactly what tools are in front of us as a team and we have to consider everything. Minute count, throwing that out the window is easy to say, but if you have guys out there that are more fatigued than they should be, that’s not good and against this team, that’s very difficult.”

Center Myles Turner remains defiant that the Pacers can win the next two games, as he told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. Turner declared, “It’s not over” shortly after the Game 5 loss.

“Our fans have been anticipating this for such a long time,” Turner said. “They’ve been antsy. The biggest thing is to show up for Game 6. They’ll be behind us and be as loud as they were here [in Oklahoma City]. For someone in my position, you never know when you can get this opportunity again. This is the youngest, healthiest and most spry I will ever be. For me, I just got to give it all that I’ve got. Back against the wall. Empty the tank.”

City Council Approves Agreements To Keep Thunder In OKC

June 18th, 2025 at 9:38am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Oklahoma City Council approved a series of agreements during its Tuesday meeting aimed at keeping the Thunder in Oklahoma City through at least 2053, Jordan Gerard and Steve Lackmeyer of The Oklahoman report.

The agreements regarding the Thunder’s new arena, the $1 billion Paycom Center, will give the team’s owners an option to buy and develop the current arena property while also setting terms for food and beverage operations, parking, naming rights and multiple other aspects of game days and concert events.

The new Paycom Center is slated to open in 2028. The current Paycom Center opened in 2002.

The 25-year agreement includes the option of five three-year additional renewals for the team. The city’s mayor, David Holt, tweeted out that “we have officially secured our Thunder in Oklahoma City till at least 2053.”

That’s not entirely true but the Thunder would have to pay a major penalty to leave the city before that date.

If the team leaves Oklahoma City in the first five years after moving into the new Paycom Center, the agreements would require the Thunder to pay the city $1 billion. If the team leaves in years six-to-10 after the move, they will pay the city $850MM. The scale continues for 25 years.

The Thunder will initially pay the city $58K per game to use the building with annual increases. The team will retain control of the building’s naming rights.

A provision in the agreements that would allow the Thunder to buy and develop the current arena site. Team spokesman Dan Mahoney confirmed the team is interested in development of the property.

“We’re excited at the opportunity to purchase and develop the current arena site,” Mahoney said. “It will enable the Thunder to provide the vision for a sustainable and vibrant concept to enhance the area and seamlessly complement the new Paycom Center.”

Thunder’s Nikola Topic Could Return To Action This Summer

June 17th, 2025 at 9:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With his team one win away from a championship, Thunder 2024 lottery pick Nikola Topic has been a forgotten man. He missed the entire season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last July.

However, Topic could return to action as soon as next month during the Las Vegas Summer League, according to Jordan Davis of The Oklahoman.

“In terms of what he’s doing right now, he’s still X amount of time post-op,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “He’s still return-to-performance. I don’t think he’s the player right now that he will be in training camp. The thing that’s most impressive about him to see is he’s incredibly young, he’s stateside for the first time, in the NBA for the first time, coming off a long-term injury and he’s been unbelievably consistent and mature and professional in his approach. When you watch somebody go through that, you can learn a lot about them.”

Word initially broke weeks before the draft that Topic had suffered a partially torn ACL, so the Thunder weren’t caught off guard by the need for surgery when they drafted the Serbian point guard with the No. 12 overall pick.

Topic, 19, is expected to compete for backup minutes next season. He has a guaranteed salary of $5.2MM in ’25/26, followed by team options of $5.4MM and $7.5MM in his third and fourth seasons.

The organization is pleased by how he attacked his rehab.

“Inserted himself into the mix in a very appropriate way,” Daigneault said. “The guys really respect the way that he approaches things. He’s an old soul. He’s way beyond his years and so that bodes really well for him, regardless where he starts as a player on the court. That stuff translates, and he’s been very impressive with that.”

Topicc averaged 15.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists and a steal in 18 games with the Adriatic League’s Crvena Zvezda club during the 2023/24 season.

Thunder Notes: Williams, Offensive Flow, Hartenstein

June 17th, 2025 at 4:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder need just one more win to claim the NBA title, thanks to Jalen Williams. The third-year forward poured in 40 points in Game 5 as Oklahoma City took a 3-2 series lead over the Pacers.

“He was really gutsy tonight,” MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said during the post-game press conference, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “He stepped into big plays. Felt like every time we needed a shot, he made it. He wasn’t afraid. He was fearless tonight.”

Williams became the third-youngest player to score at least 40 points in an NBA Finals game, trailing only Magic Johnson and Russell Westbrook.

“It’s something more that I’ll look back on later than worry about what kind statement it makes,” he said. “I think the only statement we have right now is we’re up 3-2 and we have to still go earn another win.”

Williams is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason that could be worth a projected $246MM over five years. The maximum value could increase to a projected $296MM if Williams makes an All-NBA team again in 2026 after earning a spot on the All-NBA Third Team this season.

Here’s more on the Thunder:

Williams’ teammates are thrilled for his success. Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic examines how the Thunder forward reached this point. “He’s one of those guys that you want to see succeed, especially when you know him personally,” Chet Holmgren said. “You want to root for him. You want him to do good just because he shows up every single day, does the right things. He’s a good guy off the court, treats everybody well. He’s always respectful. He works really hard. You want to see it pay off for him. … We don’t get here without him playing as good as he’s playing. So, we’ve got to make sure he gets his credit, gets his flowers.”
While the Thunder shot just 42.6 percent from the field in Game 5, they made 14 of 32 three-point attempts and had 24 assists, compared to 11 turnovers. “It was for sure better,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the team’s offensive flow, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz. “Ball moved a little bit more. We were more aggressive. We were in the paint making decisions. Yeah, we were good.”
Their top free agent from last offseason, Isaiah Hartenstein, played a pivotal role with his decision-making, especially in the first half. Hartenstein posted modest stats — four points, eight rebounds (six of them offensive), four assists, one block and one steal in 21 minutes — but his impact was much greater than those raw numbers, according to The Athetic’s Kelly Iko. “I think it’s big,” Hartenstein said. “I think I provide different things, and I can also change my role, that’s the biggest thing. I can adapt. This series has been less scoring and trying to get guys open. Just me being ego-less in that sense helps the team a lot.”

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