Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reveals 'Hard' Lesson Indiana Pacers Taught Him
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reveals 'Hard' Lesson Indiana Pacers Taught Him originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Even though Andrew Nembhard put him on skates before hitting a clutch 3-pointer, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked poised for the entirety of the Oklahoma City Thunder's 111-110 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
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SGA missed a midrange shot in the final seconds that would have put the Thunder up by three points, and he finished with 38 points on 46.7 percent shooting to go with three steals.
However, it wasn't quite enough, as the Pacers roared back, winning their fifth game of the postseason thanks to a last-second Tyrese Haliburton shot.
Indiana only led for 0.3 seconds of the game, but it was enough to earn a shocking win on the road and take a lead in the Finals, where many expected them to get swept.
After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander offered an honest assessment.
"We had control of the game for the most part of it," said Gilgeous-Alexander to the media. "Now, it is a 48-minute game, and they teach you that lesson more than anyone else in the league, the hard way."
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The Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and now the Thunder have all learned that lesson thanks to the Pacers. It doesn't matter how big of a lead you have, Indiana will fight until the final buzzer, and it's truly not over until it's over.
Game 2 will keep the series in Oklahoma City, tipping off on Sunday night.
Check out the All Pacers homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.
Related: Indiana Pacers Break Remarkable 26-Year-Old Record in Finals
Related: Pacers Pull Off Dramatic Comeback to Steal NBA Finals Game 1 at OKC
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
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