We might have a series after all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The underdog Pacers stole Game 1<\/a> of the NBA Finals, stunning the Thunder 111-110<\/a> on Thursday night in Oklahoma City.\u00a0<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get to the grades.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pre-order book on the Thunder’s journey to the NBA Finals<\/a><\/p>\n REQUIRED READING: Thunder controlled every second but last in Game 1 collapse: ‘It is a 48-minute game’<\/a><\/p>\n Gilgeous-Alexander missed a late jumper that would\u2019ve given the Thunder a three-point cushion.\u00a0<\/p>\n This loss isn\u2019t on him, though.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gilgeous-Alexander was mostly magnificent in his NBA Finals debut. He scored 38 points \u2014\u00a0the third most by a player in his first NBA Finals game behind Allen Iverson (48 in 2001) and George Mikan (42 in 1949).\u00a0<\/p>\n SGA shot 14-of-30 and was 7-of-8 from the foul line.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014Joe Mussatto, columnist<\/p>\n More: Thunder’s Game 1 loss was unbelievable. Here are 18 stats that prove just how wild it was.<\/a><\/p>\n The non-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander legs of the Thunder\u2019s Big Three were wobbly Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Williams scored 17 points but hit only 6 of 19 shots. He was aggressive, getting downhill and going to the rim. But he seemed to rush some shots and failed to convert three in the restricted area, including a dunk that was blocked.<\/p>\n Holmgren managed only six points, his lowest scoring game of these playoffs. He made only 2 of 9 shots.<\/p>\n Williams dished six assists while Holmgren grabbed six rebounds and blocked one shot.<\/p>\n Still, the Thunder needs more from both.<\/p>\n \u2014Jenni Carlson, columnist<\/p>\n MUSSATTO: Deja vu for Thunder with another Game 1 meltdown in playoffs, now in NBA Finals<\/a><\/p>\n I know, I know, the Pacers standout hit the last-second game-winner, but the Thunder guarded him well for about 47 minutes and 45 seconds.<\/p>\n He scored 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished six assists and committed three turnovers. This is a guy who has had triple doubles without a single turnover, so that stat line is one the Thunder would live with.<\/p>\n If not for those last two points.<\/p>\n Cason Wallace ended up matched up on Haliburton, and as good a defender as the Thunder sophomore is, Lu Dort had locked down Haliburton much of the night. Dort used his physicality to get into Haliburton, and Wallace should\u2019ve bodied him up the same way.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead, he gave Haliburton a sliver of space, and he took advantage.<\/p>\n \u2014Jenni Carlson, columnist<\/p>\n More: How historic was OKC Thunder’s NBA Finals Game 1 loss vs. Pacers? Examining the numbers<\/a><\/p>\n Participation points: A\u00a0<\/p>\n Twenty players logged first-quarter minutes \u2026 20! In Game 1 of the NBA Finals!\u00a0<\/p>\n We knew Mark Daigneault and Rick Carlisle liked their benches, but holy smokes. It\u2019s like they were coaching a regular season game in the dead of December.\u00a0<\/p>\n Daigneault played an 11th man, Ajay Mitchell, to start the second quarter.\u00a0<\/p>\n The rookie second rounder had played a grand total of 64 playoff minutes entering Thursday night. Mitchell threw a nice pass to Holmgren, which led to a foul and free throws, but he missed all three of his shots in four minutes of action.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u00a0Joe Mussatto, columnist<\/p>\n CARLSON: After OKC Thunder takes gut punch in Game 1, fate of NBA Finals rests with Game 2<\/a><\/p>\n Points off turnovers: D<\/p>\n Even though the Pacers had a whopping 25 turnovers, almost double their regular-season average of 13.2, the Thunder managed only 11 points off those turnovers.<\/p>\n OKC has to get more than that off that level of defensive pressure, and while it regularly capitalizes off turnovers by getting out on the break and scoring in transition, that didn\u2019t happen Thursday.<\/p>\n OKC had 11 transition points to Indiana\u2019s 10.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you\u2019ve got to look at what kind of turnovers we’re getting, too,\u201d Thunder guard Jalen Williams said. \u201cSometimes you get a turnover in the backcourt, sometimes the defense is behind you now, so you try and obviously space out, run something.\u201d<\/p>\n And when that didn\u2019t happen much Thursday, the Thunder\u2019s poor shooting night factored into the points off turnovers. OKC had 98 shots to Indiana\u2019s 82, so the Thunder created more opportunities with their turnovers. But it didn\u2019t make any more shots than the Pacers; both made 39 baskets.<\/p>\n \u2014Jenni Carlson, columnist<\/p>\n TAKEAWAYS: Tyrese Haliburton delivers stunner again as Pacers steal Game 1 vs Thunder in NBA Finals<\/a><\/p>\n Pacers\u2019 role players: A-\u00a0<\/p>\n Indiana outscored OKC 39-28 in bench points.\u00a0<\/p>\n Obi Toppin, after throwing the ball all over the place in the first half, settled in and finished with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting.\u00a0<\/p>\n T.J. McConnell had nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. Thomas Bryant went 2-for-2.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Pacers\u2019 bench shot 8-of-12 from 3-point range. The Pacers as a whole went 18-of-39 (46%).\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014Joe Mussatto, columnist<\/p>\n