The Oklahoma City Thunder looked to use home court to their advantage on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers.
Early on, it looked as though that was going to be the case as the Thunder jumped out to a quick lead and led by 12 points at halftime.
Indiana was able to keep the game close, though, and they were able to make another comeback in the fourth quarter as the Thunder collapsed, allowing the Pacers to steal Game 1 on the road.
Of course, Indiana led for only 0.3 seconds on Thursday night after Tyrese Haliburton hit the game-winning mid-range shot with 0.3 seconds remaining.
This was a major collapse by the Thunder and one that is very uncharacteristic of them, especially with how they have dominated teams this season.
After Game 1, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal joined NBA TV where he sent a clear message to the Thunder after allowing the Pacers to steal a victory on the road.
“This is not another game, this is the NBA Finals... when you get a team down, you gotta put your foot on their throat,” O’Neal said about the Thunder after Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
This is a clear message by O’Neal and one that usually describes how the Thunder have played this season, though they were unable to hold the lead on Thursday night.
Of course, Oklahoma City has dominated their way through the season thus far as they have blown out teams left and right, including in the playoffs.
Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
May 26, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8), forward Chet Holmgren (7) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) talk to the media after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
© Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
It looked as though that was going to be the case again on Thursday but Oklahoma City was unable to get anything going offensively in the fourth quarter as Indiana completed another historic comeback.
For the Thunder, they now face a potential must-win situation in Game 2 at home on Sunday night as they try to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole before the series shifts to Indiana.