Despite forcing a large number of turnovers (the most in a Finals game this century), a dominant performance from their star point guard (38 points), and leading for almost the entire duration, the Oklahoma City Thunder surprisingly lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals to the Indiana Pacers, who mounted yet another improbable comeback. As the Pacers maintain their remarkable postseason run, the Thunder are left analyzing their mistakes and strategizing on how to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole in Game 2. Although still considered the superior team and series favorites, the Thunder`s close Game 1 defeat significantly reduced their margin for error. Here are five crucial steps they need to take to bounce back, level the series, and regain control.
1. A quick mental recovery
The most critical factor for the Thunder isn`t about specific plays but their psychological resilience. They must completely move past the Game 1 outcome. Losing Game 2 at home, similar to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals after their Game 1 upset, would be disastrous. Fortunately, guided by their composed leader, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder have demonstrated this ability before. Following a surprising Game 1 loss to Denver in the second round, they responded emphatically in Game 2 with a dominant offensive performance. They also showed toughness by winning Game 4 on the road after an overtime loss in Game 3. This mental fortitude will be vital in the Finals, especially since Indiana is likely to be better prepared. After committing 19 turnovers in a shaky first half, the Pacers significantly reduced them to just six in the second, fueling their comeback.
2. Sharper contributions from Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams
While Gilgeous-Alexander delivered an outstanding 38 points in Game 1, his key teammates, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, struggled. Their performance is often indicative of the team`s success; when Holmgren and Williams contribute effectively as the second and third scoring options, the Thunder are nearly unstoppable, but poor outings make them vulnerable. Game 1 saw the latter. Williams shot poorly, hitting only 6 of 19 attempts, including just 1 of 10 away from the rim. Holmgren managed only six points on 2-of-9 shooting and was benched during the critical final minutes, with coach Mark Daigneault opting for a smaller lineup. This lack of production was particularly detrimental as the Thunder changed their starting lineup, replacing Isaiah Hartenstein with Cason Wallace, removing their usual two-big look and placing more responsibility on Holmgren. (Hartenstein, conversely, was effective in limited minutes off the bench, suggesting he may warrant more playing time despite Indiana not having a dominant post presence). Holmgren`s struggles weren`t confined to offense; he had a rare off-night defensively, losing track of players for crucial fourth-quarter three-pointers that helped the Pacers close the gap. Ultimately, Holmgren finished with just six points and six rebounds, while Indiana`s frontcourt thrived: Myles Turner had 15 points and nine rebounds, and reserve Obi Toppin added 17 points, including five impactful three-pointers. With Pascal Siakam outplaying Jalen Williams, the Pacers` supporting cast outperformed Oklahoma City`s, which proved just enough to negate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander`s significant advantage over Tyrese Haliburton, who struggled until his game-winning shot.
3. Snappier ball movement
Indiana entered the series with a clear defensive game plan: allow Gilgeous-Alexander to take challenging shots but avoid collapsing the defense to double-team him. This strategy resulted in unprecedented offensive stagnation for Oklahoma City. The Thunder completed only 208 passes in Game 1, the lowest number in any game this season, regular season or playoffs. Adjusting for pace, it ranks as the second-lowest total in a playoff game since tracking began in 2013-14. Interestingly, the previous playoff games with the fewest pace-adjusted passes involved the Cleveland Cavaliers against Indiana, suggesting the Pacers employed a similar tactic against Donovan Mitchell. While Gilgeous-Alexander largely handled the scoring burden placed upon him, there was minimal creation for his teammates. The Thunder recorded a mere 13 assists in Game 1, significantly below their previous playoff low of 19 and their regular-season low of 16 (when starters rested). While poor shooting certainly contributed to the low assist total, the Thunder need to proactively counter Indiana`s strategy by increasing ball movement and offensive flow. This would help integrate SGA`s teammates more effectively and ensure the team maintains rhythm in crucial late-game situations.
4. Better finishing around the basket
In retrospect, the Thunder effectively lost Game 1 in the first half by failing to establish a substantial lead despite forcing 19 turnovers. Their defense was stellar, but the offense faltered. Oklahoma City`s finishing around the basket was exceptionally poor. According to statistics, they shot 20-for-36 at the rim (14th percentile for the season) and a remarkably low 3-for-18 from floater range (2nd percentile). This inability to convert close-range shots was the primary reason they couldn`t capitalize on the numerous turnovers, scoring just 0.4 points per steal compared to their season average of 1.4. Much credit for this goes to Myles Turner, who recorded three blocks and impacted many other attempts. The Thunder shot only 1-for-9 against Turner in the paint. Many of these misses, as mentioned earlier, were struggles from Chet Holmgren in traffic. Nevertheless, the Thunder are capable of, and must, finish better in upcoming games. Based on factors like shooter identity and defender positioning, analytical models estimate the Thunder should have scored eight more points in the paint. If they had finished at a rate closer to their season average, they likely would have won Game 1.
5. More considered prevention of the Pacers` open corner 3s
The Thunder`s defeat in Game 1 was also influenced by allowing the Pacers too many open corner three-pointers. This represents a known vulnerability in the Thunder`s otherwise formidable defense: as a tactical compromise to protect the paint, they allow the most corner threes in the league. The Pacers effectively exploited this, taking their highest frequency of corner threes this season in Game 1. They were highly successful, making 10 out of 16 attempts (63%), including a scorching 7-for-9 in the second half – crucial shots for their comeback. While the Thunder will likely accept some of these attempts on review (those that were contested or resulted from necessary defensive rotations), Indiana significantly outperformed their expected shooting percentage based on shot quality. However, other corner threes were left wide open due to Thunder miscommunications, a critical lapse unacceptable at this level. Although the relentless Pacers make it challenging, the Thunder can and must correct these defensive miscues. Their ability to do so is essential as they face an uphill battle and strive to win their first NBA championship in Oklahoma City.
