The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated a number of facets of Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but couldn’t quite hold on in the most important stat category of them all: the final score. The Indiana Pacers stole an incredible 111–110 road victory on a near-buzzer-beater by Tyrese Haliburton.
The Thunder led by as many as 15 points, and looked like they would run away with the game in the first half, thanks in large part to an incredible turnover deficit throughout the game. The Pacers turned the ball over 25 times during the game, while OKC only coughed it up seven times on the day.
It is virtually unheard of for a team with a -18 turnover differential to win a game of this magnitude. In NBA playoff history, that is in fact the case. According to statistical database Stathead, just three teams in NBA playoff history had faced such a deficit. All three lost:
|
Year |
Team |
Opponent |
Score |
Turnover deficit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1970 |
Los Angeles Lakers |
New York Knicks |
107–100 L |
-20 |
|
1995 |
Indiana Pacers |
New York Knicks |
96–77 L |
-19 |
|
2008 |
Orlando Magic |
Detroit Pistons |
91–86 L |
-18 |
Only two teams in the NBA regular season lost the turnover battle by at least 18 during the 2024–25 season, and both lost, with the Utah Jazz falling to the Thunder 133–106 with a -21 turnover mark. The Jazz were also the last team to win a game at -18 or worse, back in Jan. 2024 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 2012 Memphis Grizzlies previously held the mark for worst turnover deficit in a playoff win, beating the Los Angeles Clippers in a first-round game 90–88 despite turning it over 15 more times than the Clippers.
The 1974 Milwaukee Bucks held the distinction for worst turnover deficit for a team in an NBA Finals win, at -12 in a 102–101 win at the Boston Celtics in double overtime.
The Thunder were the safest team with the ball in the NBA this season, averaging just 11 turnovers per game, but the Pacers weren’t far off, at 12.2 in the regular season—tied for the third-best mark in the NBA. That makes Thursday’s performance an even bigger outlier for Indiana… and makes Oklahoma City’s loss even more heartbreaking if possible.
