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Nightly Pulse: NBA Finals Game 5 Live Blog

Check out the NBA Finals Game 5 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers with live scores, updates and highlights.

NBA.com Staff

NBA Finals Game 5 Score🏀🏆

Oklahoma City Thunder 120, Indiana Pacers 109 (Final; OKC leads 3-2)

Top Storylines from Finals Game 5🚨😮📰

  • One down, one to go: OKC’s 120-109 victory in Game 5 puts them just one win away from their first title in franchise history. Jalen Williams put on a masterful performance tonight, erupting for a playoff career-high 40 points, with 11 of his 24 second-half points coming in the fourth quarter. He’s now scored 26+ in three straight games, joining Kyrie Irving (2016), Kevin Durant (2012), Dwyane Wade (2006) and Shaquille O’Neal (1995) as the only five players in the last 40 seasons to do so in the NBA Finals before the age of 25. J-Dub also joined Russell Westbrook as the only other player in Thunder history to drop 40 in the Finals.
  • Turnovers, points off were key: Game 5 had a similar feel to Game 1, when the Pacers couldn’t seem to stop coughing the ball up and turned it over 25 times. Tonight, though, their 23 total turnovers resulted in 32 points for Oklahoma City, compared to just 4 in Indy’s Game 1 win. Despite making it a two-point game deep into the third quarter, the Thunder paired timely shot-making with steals and several stops on the defensive end to pull out a pivotal win at home. Indiana now finds themselves trailing in a series for the first time this postseason, and it’s up to them to respond in Game 6 at home on Thursday.
  • Haliburton’s health a concern: Tyrese Haliburton went scoreless from the field and missed all six of his shot attempts, finishing with 4 points in his 34 minutes of action. The ABC broadcast mentioned that Hali tweaked something in his right leg/calf, as he was seen walking back to the locker room for examination early in the first half. The series is by no means over, but the Pacers will need their star point guard to be healthy and able to produce if they hope to push the Finals to a Game 7.

Top Performers of Finals Game 5🤩🌟

  • Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder: playoff career-high 40 points (14-25 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 9-12 FT), 6 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal in win over Pacers.
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder: 31 points (9-21 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 13-14 FT), 2 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks in win over Pacers. First 30/10/4 Finals game since 1974.
  • Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers: 28 points (9-15 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks in loss to Thunder.
  • T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers: 18 points (8-14 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in loss to Thunder. Scored career-high 13 points in third quarter, most he’s ever had in a single quarter.

Thunder take 3-2 lead 😤⛈️

Jalen Williams took over in Game 5’s 120-109 win, dropping a playoff career-high 40 points on 14-for-25 shooting, along with 6 boards, 4 assists and a steal in 35 minutes. J-Dub also tied with Lu Dort (9 points, 8 boards) for a game-best +14 plus-minus, as he was uber aggressive in looking for his shot and keeping OKC ahead the majority of the contest.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was sensational with 31 points (13-14 FT), 2 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks in his 38 minutes. Aaron Wiggins added 14 points and four made 3s off the bench, and Cason Wallace chipped in 11 points with three made 3s and 4 steals in his nearly 18 minutes as a reserve.

Aaron Nesmith (14 points, 6 rebounds) had this incredible highlight in the closing minutes, making him one of five Pacers to score at least 12 points. Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 28 points on 9-for-15 shooting while tallying 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks.

Tyrese Haliburton, clearly hobbled by his right leg/calf that he tweaked in the first half, finished with 4 points (0-6 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 7 rebounds and 6 assists in 34 minutes. Hali and the Pacers will have a couple days to rest and get right before Game 6 tips at 8:30 ET on Thursday in Indianapolis.

40-piece for J-Dub 😎🔥

Jalen Williams shakes Aaron Nesmith for this cold turnaround fading jumper to give him 40 points on 14-for-24 shooting, along with 6 boards, 4 assists and a steal in 33 minutes. The Thunder have a 120-107 lead with 1:51 remaining in Game 5.

Thunder taking off in 4Q🚀

Jalen Williams is up to a playoff career-high 38 points, powering a 16-4 Thunder run to jump out to another double-digit lead. OKC up 111-97 with 5:35 to go. Turn it on, now.

Game 5 is GOOD💥🍿

Pascal Siakam has taken over for Indy in the fourth, dropping 12 of his 26 points so far to cut the deficit to just 2 at one point. Jalen Williams came down with a triple to answer Siakam, then drilled another huge 3 to give him 33 points. Cason Wallace got a swipe and slam on the other end to extend OKC’s lead to 7, 100-93, with under 8 minutes to go.

Heading to the 4th quarter🚨📢

T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin led the charge for Indy in the third quarter, bringing their 14-point deficit down to just 8 as we head to the fourth quarter of this crucial Game 5. McConnell is up to a team-high 18 points on 8-for-13 shooting, along with 4 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals.

SGA (22 points) and Jalen Williams (29 points) look to stay aggressive and keep the lead in OKC’s favor. The Thunder took an 87-79 advantage to the final frame, and they’re up 92-82 with just under 11 minutes remaining in the contest.

Which squad will come out on top with a 3-2 lead after tonight? Find out by tuning in live on ABC!

McConnell spin cycle 🌀😵‍💫

T.J. McConnell scores six straight to get the Pacers right back in this game, including this beautiful spin move on Jalen Williams. He’s been a difference-maker for Indiana by attacking the OKC defense, and he’s up to a team-high 15 points in 16 minutes off the bench.

Jalen Williams leads all scorers with 27 on 9-for-16 shooting, adding 5 boards, 4 assists and a steal. Oklahoma City has an 83-76 lead with less than a minute to play in the third quarter.

Pacers keep fighting 👊🤩

Indiana continues to hustle and fight their way back into Game 5, with Pascal Siakam’s 14 points and Myles Turner’s 11 points keeping them within striking distance in the third. The Pacers have cut the deficit to 11, trailing 70-59 with 6:40 left in the quarter.

Jalen Williams has a game-high 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting and two made 3s to lead the Thunder.

Thunder up 14 at halftime ⛈️😬

OKC looks faster in almost every way tonight, and the energy from their home crowd certainly seemed to play it’s part. Chet Holmgren has been a two-way menace out there, racking up 7 points, 4 rebounds, a steal and 3 blocks in 15 minutes. Isaiah Hartenstein has chipped in 3 points, 5 boards, 4 assists and a steal as the Thunder’s two-big lineups have been versatile.

The Thunder have outscored the Pacers 12-0 in fast break points and 15-1 in points off of turnovers, two big factors in why they’re holding a 59-45 lead at halftime.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (13) and Jalen Williams (16) have combined for 29 points to set the tone offensively for OKC.

Pascal Siakam has a team-high 10 points to go with 4 boards, 3 assists and a steal. Tyrese Haliburton is scoreless in 17 minutes, as he’s dealing with a right leg/calf injury. Don’t miss the second half, starting soon on ABC.

J-Dub taking over😤

Jalen Williams is up to a game-high 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting (3-3 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal to lead OKC in scoring. He’s doing a bit of everything to help the Thunder keep a double digit lead, as they’re up 54-38 with just under 3 minutes left before halftime.

Tune in now on ABC to catch the final 2-plus minutes!

Raining 3s in OKC🌧️🌧️

Aaron Wiggins is making the most of his opportunities in Game 5, erupting for 9 points on 3-for-3 shooting from behind the arc in 10 minutes off the bench for OKC. He’s tied with SGA for the team leader in scoring, as the MVP has dished out 4 assists and made all 5 of his free-throw attempts.

Pascal Siakam has a game-high 10 points to go with 3 boards and 2 assists. Tyrese Haliburton is scoreless in 10 minutes, but he did return to the game after being checked out in the locker room for a right leg/calf issue.

Mathurin said NOPE 🚫

Bennedict Mathurin makes a quick statement upon his entrance in Game 5 with this emphatic swat. He’s got 2 points and 2 blocks off the Pacers’ bench. However, Indiana trails OKC 32-22 after one.

The Thunder have forced 7 Pacer turnovers, and OKC has already exceeded their 3-point total from Game 4, as they’ve hit four 3s on six attempts. After one quarter, Oklahoma City has an edge in points in the paint (16-8), second chance (4-2) and fastbreak points (6-0), including 7 points off turnovers.

Cason Wallace has been huge in his 5 minutes as a reserve, scoring 6 points on two made 3s with one steal.

SGA forces a timeout😏

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s nasty crossover fueled an 11-0 run for the Thunder, giving them a 22-12 lead midway through the first. Myles Turner just ended that drought for Indy with an and-1 bucket, but missed the freebie.

OKC has the crowd absolutely rocking already, grabbing a 22-14 lead with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter.

Thunder cooking early🔥

Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein have been a forceful tandem for OKC early, as J-Dub has 6 points thanks to two big slams at the rim. I-Hart has 3 assists and 2 steals to go with his 2 points, and Chet Holmgren has 5 points on 2-for-2 shooting.

Pascal Siakam leads all Pacers with 5 points on 2-for-2 from the field, but he’s turned it over twice in less than 5 minutes of action. The Thunder have taken a 17-12 edge with 7:45 left in the opening quarter of Game 5, live now on ABC!

Thunder vs Pacers Game 5 preview🎥✨

An incredible fourth quarter from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder’s defense shut the door on the Pacers in Game 4, as SGA dropped 15 of his 35 over the final 12 minutes to even the Finals at two games apiece. Jalen Williams, who was awesome in his own right with 27 points, 7 boards and 3 assists, primarily initiated the offense for Mark Daigneault through the first three quarters, showing his versatility and importance to everything OKC does.

Alex Caruso did a little bit of everything, too, adding 20 points and a playoff career-high 5 steals off the bench. Chet Holmgren’s defense and opportunistic play on offense, especially in the fourth, were massive momentum boosts for his team, contesting every shot and grabbing putbacks in the clutch.

Tyrese Haliburton fell just shy of the coveted 20-point threshold for the Pacers, as he tallied 18 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals in the loss. Despite a team-high 20 points from Pascal Siakam, Indy’s leading scorer in the Finals, he went scoreless in the fourth, and they were outscored 31-17 in the final frame. Look for an aggressive Siakam to set the tone for Indiana early.

Thunder starting lineup⛈️

Pacers starting lineup🏁

NBA Finals Game 5 storylines📰👇📢

  • First to 2 wins: In an unbelievable, back-and-forth Finals through four games, Oklahoma City and Indiana are all square at two victories each. What was a best-of-seven series is now a best-of-three, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s heroics down the stretch of Game 4 helped the Thunder avoid falling into a historically-dreadful 3-1 deficit. SGA’s 15 points in the fourth quarter nearly matched the Pacers’ total (17), a performance from the Kia NBA MVP that could be the defining moment between these two great teams. With home court advantage on their side, will OKC have what it takes to put Indy on the brink? Or can the Pacers set the tone and improve their Playoffs road record to 8-3?
  • Streaks on the line: The Pacers and Thunder have been two of the best teams all season when it comes to resiliency and responding after losses. Indiana hasn’t lost consecutive games since March 10, and OKC hasn’t dropped back-to-back outings since April 6. This is the first time this postseason that the Pacers haven’t led in their series after four games, as they were up 3-1 against the Bucks, Cavs and Knicks before advancing in five, five and six, respectively. Game 5 sets the stage for either of these squads to deliver a blow to their opponent that will leave them one win away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and put the odds in their favor going forward.
  • What’s at stake: When the Finals are tied at 2-2, 31 of the previous 32 teams to win Game 5 has gone on to win the title 23 times (74.2%). Who’s taking a 3-2 series lead after tonight?

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