Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers drew a striking comparison between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the legendary 1990s Chicago Bulls teams led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen following their 120-109 Game 5 win over the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals.

Rivers made the remarks on The Bill Simmons Podcast:

“Our 2008 Celtics were tough, but I still… Listen, I played against all of them. And that one year with the Bulls, Ron Harper, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan. I mean, those are four elite, elite, elite defenders. I don’t think there was a better defensive team than that with their size and quickness, but this team is similar. They rival it a little bit.”

The Thunder’s defensive intensity was on full display in Game 5. Oklahoma City forced 22 turnovers and set a new playoff record for most points off turnovers in a single postseason.

According to HoopsHype, the Thunder have now scored 476 points off turnovers during the 2025 playoffs, surpassing the Boston Celtics’ 2008 mark of 461. The stat has been tracked since 1997.

Jalen Williams and SGA make NBA Finals history as Thunder move within one win of title

Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) walk
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Jalen Williams finished Game 5 as the game’s leading scorer with 40 points, six rebounds, four assists, and one steal. He shot 14-for-25 from the field and 9-for-12 from the free throw line, posting a game-high plus/minus of +14. According to ESPN, Williams joined LeBron James and Kevin Durant as the only players since 1998 to record at least 18 points in the paint and three made three-pointers in an NBA Finals game.

Additionally, Williams became only the fifth player in the last 40 seasons to score 25 or more points in three straight Finals games before turning 25 years old. The others to accomplish the feat are Shaquille O’Neal (1995), Dwyane Wade (2006), Kevin Durant (2012), and Kyrie Irving (2016).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the newly crowned Most Valuable Player, tallied 31 points on 9-for-21 shooting and 13-of-14 from the free throw line, along with 10 assists, four blocks, and two steals for a +9 plus/minus. Alongside him, Williams helped make history, as the duo became the first pair of teammates since LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to notch 40 and 30 points, respectively, in an NBA Finals game.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith also referenced a Jordan-Pippen comparison in evaluating Williams’ emergence as a two-way star, noting the forward's combination of size, skill, and confidence in high-pressure moments.

The Thunder will look to close out the NBA Finals on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC as they head to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 6. Oklahoma City is one win away from its first NBA championship since the franchise relocated from Seattle.