On June 18, the 2024/25 NBA Finals entered a critical stage. The fifth game was fiercely contested in Oklahoma City. The Thunder, playing at home, relied on the strong performance of Jaylen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to beat the Indiana Pacers 120-109, leading 3-2 in the series and successfully winning the decisive battle, just one step away from the championship.

In this game, the two core players of the Thunder showed MVP -level performance. Jaylen Williams scored a career-high 40 points in the playoffs, with a hot shooting touch and many key attacks to help the team stabilize the situation. Alexander was not far behind, with 31 points , 10 assists and 4 blocks, continuing to show his leadership style. The two teamed up to score 71 points and made 22 free throws out of 26 , establishing a solid lead for the Thunder.

In addition, Aaron Wiggins contributed 14 points, Carson Wallace scored 11 points and made 4 steals, and Holmgren, despite his poor shooting percentage, only scored 9 points on 4 of 15 shots , contributed 3 blocks on the defensive end. Caruso had a sluggish touch and only scored 2 points, but still contributed 4 steals on the defensive end.

For the Pacers, Siakam scored 28 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, and was the most stable player in the team. Backup point guard McConnell played well, scoring 18 points and 4 assists. For other players, Nesmith scored 14 points, Turner scored 13 points, Toppin scored 12 points, and Maturin made only 2 of 11 shots, scoring only 7 points. Nembhard contributed 7 points and 3 assists, while the main point guard Haliburton was troubled by a calf injury and his condition seriously declined. He made 0 of 6 shots , scoring only 4 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

At the beginning of the game, the two sides briefly attacked each other, but the Thunder took the lead. Alexander and Jaylen teamed up to create a wave of offensive climax and quickly established a double-digit lead. Pacers core Haliburton failed to score in the first half, and the Thunder took the opportunity to widen the score, once widening the gap to 18 points. At the end of the half, the Thunder led 59-45 .

Entering the second half, Alexander hit a jump shot to continue the offensive, but the Pacers did not give up. After Siakam made a free throw, Nesmith and Turner made three-pointers in a row, gradually narrowing the gap. In the latter part of the third quarter, McConnell stepped up and scored 13 points in half a quarter, once catching up. But at the critical moment, Jaylen hit a jump shot to stabilize the situation, and the Thunder still led 87-79 at the end of the third quarter.

In the final quarter, the Pacers continued to pursue tenaciously, and Siakam hit a three-pointer, once narrowing the gap to 2 points. However, the Thunder did not panic, Dort and Jaylen hit three-pointers in succession, widening the score again. Jaylen continued to lead the offense in the final quarter, scoring over 40 points, completely disrupting the Pacers' defense. In the last 3 minutes, the Thunder expanded the score to double digits again, and finally won the key battle 120-109 .

With this victory, the Thunder took a 3-2 lead in the finals and had a match point advantage. If the Pacers want to drag the game into a seventh game, they will have to fight for victory in the sixth game on Thursday when they return to their home court to continue their championship dream.