Williams, SGA score big as OKC beat Pacers to take 3-2 NBA Finals lead

Oklahoma person 1 manus connected the trophy aft a triumph 120-109 implicit Indiana, whose prima subordinate Haliburton struggled successful Game 5.

Jalen Williams erupted for 40 points arsenic the Oklahoma City Thunder held disconnected the Indiana Pacers to people a 120-109 triumph and determination to wrong 1 triumph of clinching the NBA Finals.

An enthralling Game 5 conflict successful Oklahoma connected Monday saw the Pacers ascent retired of an 18-point first-half spread to get wrong 2 points of the Thunder successful the 4th quarter.

But conscionable arsenic Indiana threatened the latest successful a bid of trademark comebacks, the Thunder recovered an other cogwheel with Williams and NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander steering the squad to a pivotal victory.

The triumph leaves the Thunder 3-2 up successful the best-of-seven series, meaning they tin seal the NBA crown with triumph successful Game 6 successful Indianapolis connected Thursday.

Williams finished with 40 points, six rebounds and 4 assists portion Gilgeous-Alexander co-starred with 31 points and 10 assists, 4 blocks and 2 steals.

“My teammates instil a batch of assurance successful maine to spell retired and beryllium me,” Williams said. “And [coach] Mark [Daigneault] has done a bully occupation of telling maine to conscionable beryllium myself.”

Williams said Oklahoma City’s acquisition successful Game 1 – erstwhile they blew a 15-point fourth-quarter pb to suffer – had helped them adjacent retired victory.

“Tonight was the nonstop aforesaid crippled arsenic crippled one, to beryllium honest,” Williams said. “Learning done these finals is what makes this squad bully and we were capable to bash that.”

Jalen Williams, left, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder’s onslaught against the Indiana Pacers successful Game 5 [Adam Pantozzi/Getty Images via AFP]

Pascal Siakam led the Indiana complaint with 28 points but the Pacers were near sweating connected the wellness of prima constituent defender Tyrese Haliburton aft the loss.

Haliburton, whose fittingness has been nether a unreality since crippled 2 of the series, near the crippled successful the archetypal 4th with a close calf occupation earlier returning aboriginal successful the contest.

The Pacers talisman finished with conscionable 4 points from a bitterly disappointing outing – each of them coming from escaped throws – arsenic the Thunder’s vaunted defence clamped down connected the Pacers.

“He’s not 100 percent, it’s beauteous clear,” Pacers caput manager Rick Carlisle said. “But I don’t deliberation he’s going to miss the adjacent game.

“We were acrophobic astatine half-time and helium insisted connected playing … but he’s not 100 percent. There’s a batch of guys successful the bid that aren’t.”