The Oklahoma City Thunder lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals in the most brutal way possible. Indiana Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton nailed a go-ahead two-pointer with just 0.3 seconds on the clock.
The game encapsulated everything good about the two exhilarating squads as they are battling to raise their first banner in NBA history.
The Thunder, despite having home-court advantage, will now have to work their way out of a 0-1 hole to the Pacers after the opposition's Game 1 heroics.
It's hard to classify the game as anything but entertaining, minus the Thunder crowd -- they might not agree.
For some odd reason, fans tend to think the series is *less* entertaining because the two teams come from smaller markets.
Oklahoma City fans are notorious for being some of the most passionate in the NBA. Indiana certainly rivals that. Yet people think the atmosphere isn't the same because they aren't from a global city?
Tyrese Haliburton
Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) and forward Aaron Nesmith (23) celebrate after Haliburton makes the game winning shot as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) looks on during the fourth quarter during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center.
© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The ratings, unfortunately, backed that up. Front Office Sports reports that the game averaged 8.91 million viewers.
"Game 1 of the NBA Finals averaged 8.91M viewers," Front Office Sports shared on X. "It’s the least-watched Game 1 since 1988, excluding the two COVID-impacted Finals in 2020 and 2021."
Evidently, as the championship series rolls on, there should be more intrigue and eyeballs on the games. The two teams are remarkable -- and fun -- and fans should yearn to watch that combination in two young teams.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the league MVP. Haliburton is a superstar. They both have brilliant supporting casts.
The NBA has an odd fixation on market size over product. Is marketing an issue? Sure. Branding? Absolutely. It should feel like more than a January game on a Wednesday night.
The market size of the two teams doesn't take away from the fact that it's a superb product for basketball fans, though.