Player grades: Tyrese Haliburton stuns Thunder in 111-110 Game 1 loss to Pacers
Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) makes the game winning shot over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the fourth quarter during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
OKLAHOMA CITY — Bringing the ball up, Tyrese Haliburton returned to his comfort spot. As the final seconds ticked away, Indiana's franchise player had the chance to deliver more late-game heroics on the road. He bumped Cason Wallace off him and drained a deep jumper.
Just like that, the home crowd was stunned. Only 0.3 seconds remained. The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a shocking 111-110 Game 1 loss to the Indiana Pacers. They're now at a disadvantage with an early 0-1 series deficit in the 2025 NBA Finals.
Advertisement
Talk about deja vu. But in the worst ways for the Thunder. To truly digest what happened, let's rewind to the start. You need to do that when you hold for the entire game, sans the final couple of seconds.
To start, everything went the Thunder's way. They scored the first seven points. The OKC crowd provided them with a jolt of energy. It looked eerily similar to what they usually do to run up the scoreboard on their opponent. Then the Pacers fought through it.
The Thunder held a 29-20 lead after the first quarter. They scored 28 points in the second frame to push their halftime advantage to 57-45. Not bad, but it felt like they left meat on the bone. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 19 points at the break, but the rest of his squad struggled to show up. Perhaps from a case of the jitters.
The Thunder flirted with a near plus-20 shot-attempt advantage over the Pacers. That alone should've been enough to get them up by a larger amount. But Indiana hung around. That's what it's done all playoffs. After the break, it was much of the same.
Advertisement
Gilgeous-Alexander sliced through Indiana's defense, but the Pacers hit timely outside buckets to keep it within striking distance. Indiana scored 31 points in the third quarter as the Thunder's lead was trimmed to 85-76 to enter the fourth frame.
Uneasiness settled into Paycom Center. Everybody's anxiety grew with each missed shot. Jalen Williams had a bit of a burst to start the fourth quarter. After TJ McConnell's bad inbound pass resulted in a Williams' breakaway dunk, the Thunder had a 94-79 lead with a little over nine minutes left.
OK. Deep breath out. The Thunder finally had some space on the scoreboard. Alas, like The Terminator, the Pacers wouldn't give up. It didn't take long for them to cut it within a single-digit deficit. Big-time outside buckets by Myles Turner and Obi Toppin made things interesting.
After Gilgeous-Alexander made it a 108-99 lead with a little under three minutes left, an uneventful final moments should've been enough to secure a Game 1 win. Instead, the Pacers chipped away. Aaron Nesmith made a clutch 3-pointer. Andrew Nembhard soon followed with a nasty step-back 3-pointer after he shook Gilgeous-Alexander.
Advertisement
Suddenly, the Thunder only had a 108-105 lead with two minutes left. Uh oh. Gulp. You could hear everybody mutter under their breath about what they witnessed. After all, it wasn't even a month ago when the Denver Nuggets committed highway robbery with a Game 1 stunner.
After Nembhard missed an outside attempt, Pascal Siakam's second-chance layup cut the Thunder's lead to 110-109 with 48 seconds left. The Thunder had a few cracks to seal the deal, but a couple of misses left the door wide open for Haliburton to have another signature Game 1 moment. The All-Star took advantage with the drilled game-winner. In the end, Indiana finished the final two minutes on a 12-2 run. It scored 35 points in the final frame.
The Thunder shot 40% from the field and went 11-of-30 (36.7%) from 3. They shot 21-of-24 on free throws. They had 13 assists on 39 baskets. Four Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 38 points on 14-of-30 shooting. Williams had 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting. Lu Dort scored 15 points on five outside makes. Alex Caruso had 11 points and six rebounds.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, the Pacers shot 48% from the field and went 18-of-39 (46.2%) from 3. They shot 15-of-21 on free throws. They had 24 assists on 39 baskets. Six Pacers players scored double-digit points.
Haliburton finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Siakam had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Toppin scored 17 points. Turner finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Nembhard tallied 14 points and six assists. Nesmith had 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Fans filed out of the arena in shock. Nobody said a word. The only chants you could hear came from the Pacers' traveling party that the franchise brought along. After being considered the heavy favorite, the Thunder have dug themselves into quite a hole.
Let's look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-minus
Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) during the third quarter during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Doubled by Nembhard and Nesmith, Gilgeous-Alexander could only muster up a turnaround jumper that clanked off the rim in the final seconds. What could've been a signature moment in his NBA Finals debut instead served as a sparkplug for Haliburton's moment.
Advertisement
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 38 points on 14-of-30 shooting, five rebounds and three assists. He shot 3-of-6 from 3 and went 7-of-8 on free throws. He also had three steals.
Too many moments in the final minutes when the Thunder couldn't shut the door on the Pacers. Gilgeous-Alexander had his miscues despite being the best player on the floor. He had a handful of chances to seal the result but missed on bunnies.
Credit Gilgeous-Alexander for emptying the tank. He left it all on the floor as soon as he realized nobody else besides Dort would join him. But the usually efficient scorer didn't have the butterfly finishes through traffic or go to the free-throw line at the clip we've grown accustomed to. The mid-range jumper wasn't automatic.
Despite that, Gilgeous-Alexander did enough to get a Game 1 win. He dragged his team to a double-digit lead for most of the game, but couldn't put on his Superman cape in the final moments and deliver an important win. The Thunder have been at this spot before and usually respond well. Let's see how they look in Game 2.
Jalen Williams: C
Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) celebrates after dunking the ball against the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Being the first to the ball after a bad inbound pass, Williams ran down the court and had the easy jam. After a forgettable three quarters, a loud start to the fourth frame looked like the All-Star was going to be on the verge of a classic late-game takeover.
Advertisement
Instead, Williams' mistakes couldn't be erased. He finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting, six assists and four rebounds. He shot 1-of-4 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws. He also had a steal.
The Thunder need more from Williams. We know this by now. Gilgeous-Alexander will get his numbers, but how the rest of the roster does will decide a lot about this series. When the 24-year-old gets in a groove, it's basketball poetry. When his jumper is off, like it was tonight, annoyance boils over into frustration.
You like the shot process by Williams. He took jumpers that he usually makes. He barreled to the rim on drives he usually finishes. But Indiana did enough to disrupt his rhythm and force close misses. He almost got away with it with a strong start to the fourth quarter, but OKC's collapse brought his inconsistency issues to the forefront.
Chet Holmgren: D
Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) during the second quarter in game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Everything said about Williams can be copied and pasted here for Holmgren. Except you could do that for a couple more times to drive home the point in a theatrical way. The Thunder went with a single center to start. Isaiah Hartenstein was benched in favor of Cason Wallace. By the end, they abandoned that, too. Hard to blame them, either.
Advertisement
Holmgren finished with six points on 2-of-9 shooting and six rebounds. He shot 0-of-1 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had a block.
As the game progresses, you see less of Holmgren. He only logged 24 minutes and played just four minutes of a close fourth quarter. The Pacers' outside shooting pulled the seven-footer outside of the paint. The Thunder had to concede and play mostly small-ball in the final moments.
Questions arose about Hartenstein's playability against the Pacers. Very different circumstances, but he struggled against mostly the same roster on the New York Knicks. Funny how sports can turn out, as he was more effective than Holmgren in Game 1.
The Thunder will need Holmgren to play better. They were killed on the boards by a 56-39 disadvantage. That allowed the Pacers to overcome the shot-attempt difference slowly. The 23-year-old has to play better on both ends or risk being unplayable.
Lu Dort: A
Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) blocks a shot by Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the fourth quarter during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Besides Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort was the other positive for the Thunder. His Game 1 will go in vain. The same way Caruso's Game 1 against the Nuggets did with 20 points. A day after he penned a heartfelt Player Tribune letter to the OKC fanbase, he did enough to lock a win.
Advertisement
Dort finished with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, four rebounds and an assist. He shot 5-of-9 from 3. He also had four steals and two blocks.
As the Thunder's offense dried up, Dort's outside shot gave them much-needed buckets. The defense was special as well. He faded Haliburton into the background for most of the night. Dives for loose balls energized the crowd as they sang his first name.
If the final result reversed, a lot of the postgame talk would be about how he added to his Big Game Lu mythos. Instead, it'll get forever lost as Haliburton's clutch gene was the headliner.
Alex Caruso: B
Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) drives to the basket past Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the second quarter during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
The Thunder heavily relied on their three-headed defensive POA monster. Dort, Caruso and Cason Wallace usurped Holmgren and Hartenstein in the hierarchy. It wasn't the preferred result, but the plan worked. Nobody from Indiana exploded for a monster night. Instead, everybody chipped in.
Advertisement
Caruso finished with 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting, six rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-4 from 3 and went 4-of-5 on free throws. He had three steals and two blocks.
The Thunder's league-best defense showed up through three quarters. They caused havoc. The Pacers were so deep in their own minds because of their ability to create turnovers that they always checked over the shoulder before an elementary entry pass. Then the fourth frame happened.
The Thunder have to shake off the shock. They'll have three days to marinate on this stunner before Game 2. This is what the NBA Finals are about. As the only NBA champion on the roster, Caruso offered some much-needed perspective that his teammates need to hear, which simultaneously probably angered OKC fans.
Highlights:
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder stunned in 111-110 Game 1 loss to Pacers
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
Pacers keep betting on themselves this season — and keep winning
OKLAHOMA CITY — The phones in Indiana remained quiet through the first week of February. The Pacers knew what they had, even if the rest of the basketball world hadn't caught on yet. The future of the team could have been up in the air. After a 10-15 start to the season, the Pacers were on fire, but a January hot streak sparked versus a mostly cushy schedule. For months, they had heard about how their Eastern Conference finals run the previous spring was fluke-ish, a product of injuries to the rest of the NBA. The organization stared at a daunting financial situation, by its standards, for the 2025-26 season. Advertisement The Pacers could have tried to save money. They could have deemed themselves good but not good enough to topple the three teams that stood far ahead of them in the East at the time of the trade deadline. They could have angled more toward the future. But they knew what they had, even if others doubted how high they could climb. No matter how Indiana's season ends, whether a 1-0 NBA Finals lead turns into the first non-ABA title in franchise history or trends in the opposite direction, this will be the legacy of the 2025 Pacers. At every level of the organization — in the locker room, on the coaching staff, in the front office — they have believed they are good enough. They lose 15 of 25 to begin the season, and they bounce back. They fall down big seemingly without enough time remaining to make a comeback, and they win a first-round playoff game. Then they do the same in Round 2. And again in Round 3. And one more time to kick off the finals. Tyrese Haliburton's new Pumas, which he jokingly credited for his dagger to clinch Game 1 on Thursday, need an adventurous win probability chart stamped onto them, the type with a steep upward slope at the very end, the symbol of this Pacers season. The Pacers, no matter the situation, continue to bet on themselves. And they continue to prove themselves correct. Teams swooned over center Myles Turner leading into the trade deadline. Turner is the rare rim-protecting 3-point marksman, an intuitive fit on any roster, someone who could help on both sides of the ball without disrupting a group's ecosystem. The 29-year-old will be a free agent this summer. If the Pacers pay him even the low end of his market value without making any other edits to the roster, they will go into the luxury tax for the first time since 2005. This would be new. But the Pacers refused to engage with other front offices on Turner. They believed they were good enough to make a run impressive enough to justify whatever expenses could be next. Advertisement Other front offices checked in on Andrew Nembhard, the man who glitzed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out of his sneakers on a stepback 3-pointer late in Game 1. The Pacers were better with Nembhard on the court all season, and their turnaround coincided with his return from injury in early December. Because of his contract structure, which includes a low salary this year that jumps to $18 million in 2025-26, dealing him could have presented one way to get off long-term money. But Indiana swatted away any mention of his name. Nembhard was too important. And the Pacers, they believed, were not frauds. Far from it. They were not trading Nembhard. They weren't trading Turner. They weren't depleting their depth, one of the main catalysts of their magical spring. They opted to hold on to Obi Toppin, another player on an eight-figure salary they could have sent elsewhere for financial reasons. All Toppin has done to justify the move — or lack thereof — is race for transition buckets and drain 3-pointers. He nailed five during the first game of the finals. The narrative of both teams in the finals, the Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, has surrounded trades. The Pacers traded for Haliburton in what will go down as an all-time heist. They were clever enough to use 2023 cap space to sign Bruce Brown to an intentionally bloated contract, then use that large salary to flip Brown for Pascal Siakam, another dandy of an exchange. They identified Aaron Nesmith in the deal that sent Malcolm Brogdon to Boston and used space to absorb Toppin without giving up any players or consequential draft picks. The Thunder are built on trades, too. They acquired Gilgeous-Alexander in the Paul George deal. They selected Jalen Williams with a draft pick they got in the same trade. They flipped Josh Giddey for defensive menace Alex Caruso. They have stockpiled draft picks like no franchise ever. Advertisement But sometimes, the best moves are ones of omission. Sometimes, the smartest trades are the ones organizations choose not to make. The Thunder, for example, could have messed with their core midseason to add a veteran, such as Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter Cam Johnson. They opted not to, banking on continuity and a close-knit locker room, which they could ride to the end of the season. The Pacers have the same band together, too, a similar squad to the one that went to the conference finals last season, but one with even more familiarity. The names might be the same, but this is a better team than it was a year ago. It's more physical defensively. Nembhard and Nesmith engulf perimeter threats. And the more time guys have spent together, the more telepathy has reigned supreme, whether on their blink-of-an-eye fast breaks, their constant cutting or their hot-potato ball movement. The front office believed in the players. And the players had their backs. 'You come into the year with all the talk around how (going to the Eastern Conference finals) was a fluke,' Haliburton said. 'You have an unsuccessful first couple months, and now it's easy for everyone to clown you and talk about you in a negative way. And I think as a group we take everything personal as a group. It's not just me. It's everybody.' This is a spite run. The Pacers go down 14 with 2:51 to go, only for Nesmith to sink jumper after jumper and for them to win. They trail by 15 in the fourth quarter of a finals game and push the Thunder into paralysis. Nembhard shimmies into a 3. Haliburton lifts for victory. They start 10-15 and recognize life will be different once Nembhard returns — and once Haliburton, after a slow start to the season, forms into a one-man offense. They trek through the trade deadline insistent this year's team is cohesive enough to play deep into the spring, even as the conversation everywhere other than Indiana is about a supposedly guaranteed conference finals between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, whom the Pacers, of course, handled in only five games. The Pacers have trailed all year. It's deterred neither their players nor decision-makers. Now, they're receiving the payoff. (Photo of Myles Turner: William Purnell / Getty Images)
USA Today
31 minutes ago
- USA Today
Chet Holmgren says NBA Finals Game 2 is must-win for Thunder
Chet Holmgren says NBA Finals Game 2 is must-win for Thunder Entering as a heavy favorite, the Oklahoma City Thunder were sucker-punched in Game 1. They played with fire the entire game and Tyrese Haliburton finally burned their hand with 0.3 seconds left after he drained a game-winner to steal a 1-0 series lead. The 2025 NBA Finals have started with a classic. Take that for those concerned with TV ratings. The Thunder now enter with a high-stakes Game 2. They can't go down 0-2 traveling on the road or risk being on the wrong side of one of the biggest upsets. If the Thunder bounce back in Game 2, Chet Holmgren will need to be better. He was invisible in Game 1 with just six points and six rebounds. That performance resulted in him barely seeing the floor in the fourth quarter as the game evolved into crunch time. Two days later, Holmgren called Game 2 a must-win scenario. But with the interesting caveat that he's felt that way throughout the entire playoffs. Which is true from a vibes sense. The highs and lows of a postseason result in fans feeling like they're on the doorstep of a championship or at risk of a doomsday scenario. "I wouldn't say it's any different than Game 1. Game 1 was a must-win and we didn't win. Now we flip to Game 2 and it's a must-win again," Holmgren said. "We've been in must-win situations in this playoff run, and honestly in the playoffs, every game feels like a must-win. You're not saving anything in the tank for any games down the line. You kinda have to lay it all out there." Despite the loss, you should feel confident about the Thunder's Game 2. They've only lost two in a row once this season. Holmgren has gained a reputation for bouncing back after a flat outing. If the seven-footer can return to being a two-way threat, the NBA Finals should be tied at 1-1.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark Reacts to Major News Hours Before Chicago Sky Game
Caitlin Clark Reacts to Major News Hours Before Chicago Sky Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Fever are set to face the Chicago Sky on Saturday for a rematch of their opening day game. Advertisement Indiana heads into the matchup with a 3-4 record, which puts them seventh among 13 teams in the WNBA standings. Chicago (2-4) is just behind Indiana in eighth place in the standings. The last time these two teams faced off was on May 17, when the Fever defeated the Sky 93-58 to open the season. Before the matchup tips off at 8 p.m. ET, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark took to social media, reacting to one of the biggest sports topics on Saturday. American tennis star Coco Gauff won the 2025 French Open. ESPN posted the news with the caption, "COCO GAUFF WINS HER SECOND CAREER MAJOR TITLE." Clark reposted the news, tagging Gauff and adding three crown emojis, showing support to one of the best athletes in tennis. Caitlin Clark, Instagram Caitlin Clark, Instagram Coco Gauff won the French Open for the first time in her tennis career by defeating Aryna Sabalenka. Advertisement After she put on a show, the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky are attempting to do the same. Clark will be sidelined for the matchup, missing her fourth straight game with a left quadriceps injury. The Fever will also be playing without Sophie Cunningham, who's been nursing a right ankle injury. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22)© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images During her second season with the Indiana, Clark has averaged 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. Before suffering the injury, Clark led the Fever in points and assists. Related: Chicago Sky React to Angel Reese Announcement Before Indiana Fever Game Related: South Carolina Turns Heads After Team GPA Under Dawn Staley Surfaces This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
