Game 7 of the NBA Finals was a surreal nightmare for the Indiana Pacers. In what was supposed to be a crowning moment for a new NBA Champion, an unfortunate injury in the first quarter quickly switched the mood, allowing the Oklahoma City Thunder to take control and win 103-91.

Tyrese Haliburton started off hot with 3 threes and 9 points in the 1st quarter. It appeared Indiana’s star was poised for a big Game 7 performance and had the potential to win Finals MVP. All was well until Haliburton went down, pounding the floor, and knew immediately why he fell with a non-contact injury. During a commercial break, Haliburton was helped off the court with a towel draped over his head, knowing his night was over with a torn Achilles.

No matter who you were rooting for, this was a heart-shattering moment. Game 7 is meant to be everyone’s best in an all-or-nothing scenario. It’s valid for fans to feel incomplete or unsatisfied with a very poorly timed injury. There were injuries, and then this magnitude was above and beyond what any diehard basketball fan would wish for.

The game was already hard enough with the loud, passionate Oklahoma City fan base, but it’s so much more when you are missing your poised superstar.

In the first half, the Pacers kept themselves in the game. Whether it be off their skill, defensive chemistry, or rallying together after Haliburton’s injury, the Pacers impressed many by keeping it close.

But like anything else, that can only sustain itself for so long. When you lose a player of Haliburton’s caliber mid-game, someone has to step up in a major way, or the other team will take advantage. After all, this is Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

This cutthroat mentality of the Thunder showed up for an entire quarter on the defensive end. After being tied at one point, Oklahoma City went on a 9-0 run and never looked back.

Even more impressively, from 8:32 left in the 3rd quarter to 7:29 left in the 4th quarter, only TJ McConnell scored for the Indiana Pacers, Indiana’s backup point guard. Pascal Siakam was able to end that drought, but this 12-minute drought allowed the Thunder to create a large scoring deficit for their opponents.

In the 4th quarter, Indiana showed heart, but it wasn’t enough. Even after a late surge in the 4th to cut the lead down to as low as 10 with 2 minutes remaining, the Thunder had the game in hand, which was their franchise’s first NBA Championship.

Winning your first championship in front of your home crowd is special for the fans and the players, but it is especially true in OKC’s case.

The Thunder had Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kevin Durant on the same team and never delivered a championship to their city on team-friendly deals. They would use these deals to acquire the young assets they have now.

League MVP Shai-Gilgeous Alexander was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Paul George deal. Chet Holmgren was involved in trade talks as late as the previous trade deadline, but showed up in many ways on the defensive end in Game 7.

This Thunder team acquired as many picks as they could, didn’t attack the free agency market or the trade block, and they won an NBA Championship. For that, they should be commended.

Congratulations to the Thunder on their first championship, and congratulations to the Pacers for a good season and an electric NBA Finals series. Both teams proved that you don’t have to be in a large market, and you certainly don’t need to buy a championship to succeed. Both of these teams were built from the ground up, and diehard basketball fans should love and admire both of these organizations.