Thunder's Triumph: A Record-Breaking NBA Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder emerged victorious over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, drawing an audience of 16.4 million on Sunday. This match marked the most-watched Finals in six years, according to the league's Monday report. The Thunder's 103-91 win was hard-fought, especially after Indiana's point guard Tyrese Haliburton departed with an Achilles injury early on.

For the NBA, this surge in viewership was welcome news. Early games in the series, featuring two small-market teams, suffered from low ratings. The opener drew just 8.91 million viewers, marking it as the lowest in the Nielsen era for Finals not affected by the pandemic.

Despite limited star power, the series concluded dramatically with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder celebrating an outstanding season. The 26-year-old's achievements mirrored those of greats like Shaquille O'Neal, as he seized both the scoring title and the league and Finals MVP in the same year.

(With inputs from agencies.)