The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, and some fans were surprised by the lack of enthusiasm that was shown after the final buzzer sounded.
The Thunder beat the Pacers 103-91 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., to win the NBA title. Mark Daigneault’s team was a heavy favorite at the start of the series, but Indiana gave them all they could handle.
A video that was viewed millions of times on social media compared the way the Thunder celebrated their championship-clinching win and how the Florida Panthers acted after they beat the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL Final.
One of the champions looked far more excited than the other.
The NBA in general confuses me.
— Jake Malasek (@jakemalasek) June 23, 2025
Both close out games were pretty big blowouts.
The Panthers acted like this was the first time they’ve won a hockey game in their lives. The Thunder make it seem like they have 4 more games to play.
Just a fascinating difference. pic.twitter.com/YxG44n6ZkV
There are a couple of reasons the Thunder may have been a bit more muted with their celebration than the Panthers. For one, Oklahoma City was an overwhelming favorite at the start of the NBA Finals. The Pacers defied the odds by even forcing a Game 7, so perhaps the Thunder had more of a “taking care of business” mentality about their title.
Also, Indiana lost its best player early in the Game 7 when Tyrese Haliburton went down with a devastating injury. That may have put a bit of a damper on the night for both teams.
You can also make the argument that winning a championship in the NHL is more difficult than the NBA. Typically, the team with the best players wins in the NBA. That is not always the case in the NHL, as evidenced by Connor McDavid being on the losing side.
It is probably safe to assume the Thunder were just as excited as the Panthers, even if they had different ways of showing it.
