The Oklahoma City Thunder opened the NBA Finals with a stunning defeat, falling 111-110 to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday at the Paycom Center.
Here’s a look at the numbers behind the Thunder’s loss:
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Thunder can’t take advantage of Indiana turnovers
20: First-half turnovers forced by the Thunder.
9: Points off those turnovers, helping Indiana remain within striking distance.
5: Turnovers in the second half by the Pacers, with Oklahoma City scoring just two points off those turnovers.
Mark Daigneault digs deep
11: Players used by the Thunder. Most of Ajay Mitchell’s playoff minutes had come with the Thunder either winning big or losing big but Mitchell played 4:10 in the second quarter before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe re-entered the game. Mitchell was 0 for 3 during the stretch as Oklahoma City’s lead went from nine to six with Mitchell on the floor.
Pacers control second half
Plus-13: The Pacers’ scoring margin in the second half. Oklahoma City led 57-45 at the break, but was outscored 66-53 in the second half to give Indiana a chance to complete the comeback.
Tyrese Haliburton does it again
4: Tyrese Haliburton shots in the closing seconds of regulation or overtime to win a game or force overtime in the playoffs. Haliburton hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to force overtime against the Knicks in a game Indiana ultimately won.
OKC lets lead slip away
15: Thunder’s lead with 9:42 remaining after Jalen Williams caught a T.J. McConnell inbounds pass from under the basket in stride near midcourt and took it down for a dunk to give OKC its biggest lead of the game.
32: Points scored by the Pacers after Williams’ dunk, highlighted by Haliburton’s game-winner with 0.3 seconds remaining.
1: Field goal for the Thunder in the last four minutes. Gilgeous-Alexander hit a driving layup with 4:01 left to put the Thunder up six, and made a pair of free throws
182: Consecutive losses in the NBA Finals by a team trailing by nine or more in the final three minutes since 1971 before Indiana’s stunning comeback Thursday.
1: Lead by the Pacers. The Thunder led from the start until Haliburton’s game-winner.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still historic
38: Points scored by Gilgeous-Alexander, the third-most all-time in an NBA Finals debut. Only Allen Iverson (48 in 2001) and George Mikan (42 in 1949) scored more in their first NBA Finals appearance. Both Iverson and Mikan, though, won their first Finals games. Mikan’s Lakers went on to win the title, though Iverson’s 76ers lost the next four games to the Lakers to give Los Angeles the title.
2: Free throws attempted by Gilgeous-Alexander through three quarters. Gilgeous-Alexander made just one.
6: Free throws made by Gilgeous-Alexander in the fourth quarter.
Ryan Aber covers OU athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Ryan? He can be reached at raber@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @RyAber. Sign up for the OU Sooners newsletter to access more OU coverage. Support Ryan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
