Pacers vs. Thunder NBA Finals Game 7 Draws 16.4M Viewers as SGA Wins MVP Award

Any concerns that the smaller markets of Indiana and Oklahoma City would continue to adversely affect the ratings of this year's NBA Finals were erased during Sunday's Game 7.

According to ESPN PR, 16.35 million viewers tuned in to watch the Thunder defeat the Pacers, making it "the most-watched NBA Finals game in six years."

The much-anticipated Game 7—after what had been an exciting, back-and-forth series—was ultimately a bit anticlimactic after Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury in the first quarter, ending his night.

The Thunder ultimately won 103-91 in a game that was a bit of a rock fight, especially in the first half. That isn't totally unexpected for a Game 7, when the quality of play is understandably affected by the pressure of the moment, the desperation to win a title, the familiarity between two teams after a competitive series and the heavy legs that naturally come after a season that has likely included over 100 games for the players involved.

It was certainly compounded by Indiana being without its most effective facilitator and clutch shot-maker in Haliburton, however.

By no means is Oklahoma City's title tainted in any way. The Thunder won 68 games in the regular season, feature the MVP (and NBA Finals MVP) in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and boast the league's most athletic, well-rounded and defensively stifling team. That the Thunder are so young, and already this good, may indicate the first stages of a dynasty.

Still, it was hard not to feel disappointed that Haliburton's injury robbed fans of what probably would have been a far more epic Game 7. It's undoubtedly a moment that will be recounted prominently when recounting the story of the 2024-25 season and the NBA Finals.

Plenty of fans tuned in for Game 7, and plenty of fans potentially saw the coronation of a new dynasty. It's hard not to wonder what might have been, however, if the electric Haliburton had been able to play the entire game.