With most of the Thunder regulars sitting out, the Indiana Pacers handed the Oklahoma City Thunder a 116-101 defeat, controlling the pace and physicality for most of the night. Indiana’s edge on the interior proved decisive–they won the rebounding battle 54-37, including 11 offensive boards that led directly to 18 second-chance points. Even with an ice-cold 12-of-48 night from beyond the arc, the Pacers compensated with relentless paint pressure, finishing with 54 points inside and shooting nearly 47% overall. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, struggled to find consistent rhythm on offense, shooting just 38.6% from the floor and 32.4% from three despite forcing 23 Indiana turnovers.
Chris Youngblood was a bright spot for the Thunder, pouring in 25 points on 6-of-11 shooting and knocking down four triples while going a near-perfect 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Rookie guard Ajay Mitchell added 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, flashing his scoring touch in transition, and Brooks Barnhizer contributed a well-rounded double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Still, the Thunder offense too often stalled in the half court.
The real story for the Thunder was injuries to two key players: Mitchell and Isaiah Joe. Both players left the game–Mitchell going out after twisting his ankle and Joe after tweaking his knee.
The Pacers had six players score in double figures, led by Taelon Peter’s 18 points off the bench. Benedict Mathurin scored 16, Obi Toppin chipped in 14, and Jarace Walker turned in a versatile performance with 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Former top pick James Wiseman made the most of limited minutes, scoring 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting, while Jay Huff added 8 points without missing a shot.