'Disappointed, but proud': Thunder outlast Pacers in double-overtime thriller in Indy
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 55 points as Oklahoma City topped Indiana 141-135 in a wild season opener that felt like a continuation of June’s NBA Finals.
The NBA schedule makers knew what they were doing when they slotted the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder to meet right away to begin a new season.
They last met just four months ago, on June 22, when the Pacers suffered an emotional loss — not only falling in Game 7 of the Finals after leading at halftime, but losing Tyrese Haliburton for this season due to injury.
These two teams met at Summer League, then again in the preseason. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault joked before the game that Indy had become a second home for them and they’d start paying taxes (which, yes, they have to do anyway because of the jock tax).
ESPN wanted to televise the first finals rematch and, as one of only two games scheduled for Thursday evening, it delivered in a big way.
Go ahead and call this Game 8 because it sure felt like an extension of their competitive, back-and-forth, remarkable NBA Finals matchup.
The Pacers opened the season without four point guards due to injury, and by the end of the game, they added another guard to the injury list while three others had fouled out.
In a battle that lasted three hours and 13 minutes, about an hour longer than usual, the Pacers pushed the Thunder to double overtime before coming up short, 141-135, in what was an electric way to start to the 2025-26 season.
“Disappointed, but proud,” head coach Rick Carlisle said postgame.
While it was the Pacers’ season opener — showcased on national TV and in front of a sellout crowd of 17,274 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was masterful in leading the Thunder with a career-high 55 points. It was the fifth 50-point game in his young career; he was NBA MVP and Finals MVP last season.
What many will take issue with is that he did it on 15-of-31 shooting and 23 of 26 at the foul line. There were a combined 70 fouls and 91 free throws in this one.
“They just kept marching to the free-throw line,” Carlisle said.
Both Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell, who was a handful off the bench and scored 26 points, were effective in attacking and getting to the line. There were countless and-1 opportunities as a result.
Carlisle earned a technical foul with 22.8 seconds left in the first half after he was furious at Brandon Schwab, the third official, for not getting a timeout to then challenge a play.
His frustration with Schwab continued into double overtime after forward Obi Toppin made a layup, then stole the inbounds pass. But Schwab said OKC had called timeout before the OKC turnover.
“I’m not talking about the refs,” Carlisle insisted. “If I talk about the refs, I’ll be fined an exorbitant amount of money.”
There was a postgame pool report for the second straight Thunder game and crew chief Josh Tiven answered why the Thunder were granted the timeout with 22.5 seconds left in a four-point game.
“Daigneault was near the mid-court line in close proximity to the official and verbally requested that timeout prior to the release of the throw in,” he said.
The fact that the Pacers were still in it against the best team in NBA was remarkable, yet in no way surprising. They’re a determined, fearless group that will not quit. Like the Fever this summer down four point guards, they’re relentless — even as teammates continue to go down.
When Indiana took the floor to begin the second half, point guard Andrew Nembhard was nowhere to be seen. He suffered an injury to his left shoulder and was ruled out for the second half.
My understanding is that it’s a reaggrevation of a preseason injury suffered in San Antonio. Carlisle said Nembhard will undergo tests on Friday and then they’ll learn more.
“This is going to potentially present some big challenges,” he said.
That left third-year guard Ben Sheppard, who sat out most of the preseason with a calf strain, to start the second half. The Pacers then had just one starter, Pascal Siakam, for most of the second overtime.
By then, Nembhard had exited the game and three others — Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin, and Sheppard — had fouled out. The Pacers were outscored 17-11 in the second extra session as SGA carried the Thunder to the win.
Second-round pick Taelon Peter wasn’t just the Pacers’ first sub, he also was depended on for almost all of the final overtime after Sheppard fouled out. No way he could have expected that — and a lot is going to be needed from him in the short-term.
Because of Mathurin and Siakam, the Pacers were in the fight all game. Neither team led by more than seven points.
Mathurin, who is in a contract year and replaced Haliburton in the starting lineup, gave a strong indication of what’s to come this season. He piled up a team-high 36 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out. Mathurin (17) and Siakam (12) combined for 29 of the team’s 40 free-throw attempts, which is no surprise.
But more than his points, Mathurin took on a lot of the workload defensively against Gilgeous-Alexander. That’s no easy task. SGA is quick, crafty, and a great finisher around the hoop. Offensively, Mathurin stayed in attack-mode and got them a bucket when they needed it time and time again.
And what more can be said about Siakam and his contributions? Endlessly underappreciated in this league, he’s continued to contribute in every way possible. Siakam finished with 32 points and 15 rebounds in 44 minutes.
The Pacers’ margin for error just got smaller. Point guard is the most difficult position to replace; just ask Fever head coach Stephanie White, who dealt with that issue for most of the season. For that reason, and being down the face of the franchise, every game is going to be a challenge for this group.
“Grit is what our makeup is going to have to be this year,” Carlisle said. “There are going to be a lot of challenges and we’ve just got to be willing to take on these challenges on a long-term basis.”
This was just the type of game the NBA needed after the day was filled with criticism and concern after the FBI announced the arrest of more than 30 individuals tied to an illegal gambling ring and betting on NBA games. The three individuals connected to the NBA are Trail Blazers coach (and Hall of Famer) Chauncey Billups, Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former player & assistant coach Damon Jones.
“It was a shocking day,” Carlisle said. He noted that the organizational’s general council (led by Frank Pulice) met with the players, coaches, and staff members on Thursday — as usual before each season — to warn of the potential dangers and remind them that betting on NBA games is prohibited.
The Pacers are 0-1 to start the new season, while the Thunder improved to 2-0. The next month won’t get any easier: seven of Indiana’s next 11 games are on the road, beginning with a three-game trip that starts Saturday in Memphis.
Still, regardless of record, this group remains one of the league’s most entertaining — built on grit, pace, and a relentless spirit that mirrors the city they play for.
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The Pacers held a moment of celebration of life for Nancy Leonard before tip-off.
Other Notes
The Pacers committed just 14 turnovers after averaging 22.5 per game in the preseason — and despite being down a half-dozen guards.
They were +10 in fast-break points and scored 18 second-chance points on 11 offensive rebounds.
Jarace Walker, who missed the Finals due to an ankle sprain, had many bright spots in 31 minutes played.
Johnny Furphy, who sustained a left ankle sprain in the preseason, was in uniform and only played in the final minute due to lack of available players.
They got very little from their centers: starter Isaiah Jackson earned four fouls in eight minutes, Jay Huff had five points in 12 minutes, and Tony Bradley, playing over James Wiseman, had one basket in 10 minutes. The position remains a big concern.
The first sub for both teams were rookies: Indiana’s Taelon Peter and Oklahoma City’s Brooks Barnhizer.
The Thunder weren’t at full strength — without Alex Caruso (concussion), Isaiah Joe (left knee contusion), Cason Wallace (left knee sprain), Jalen Williams (right wrist rehab), and Kenrich Williams (left knee rehab).
Owner Herb Simon celebrated his 91st birthday.
In the stands: owner Steven Rales, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, James Johnson, Lance Stephenson, Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald of the Fever, Colts’ Jonathan Taylor, Alec Pierce, Drew Ogletree, Josh Downs, Michael Pittman Jr., Anthony Gould, IndyCar drivers Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly.