OKC Thunder Stunned in Game 1 of NBA Finals, Fall to Indiana Pacers

The OKC Thunder led Game 1 of the NBA Finals for every single minute of the game.

Until there was under 10 seconds on the clock. As OKC's star guard missed his game-saving shot with a one-point lead, Indiana's followed that up with a game winner. The Indiana Pacers went on to win Game 1 of the series 111-110

OKC's defense was a tone setter all game long, from the forced turnovers to the help side defense. The help defense was simply unmatched in every way and rarely were there driving gaps that Indiana could take advantage of.

Both teams began by battling back and forth, with star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander setting the tone on offense. He got off to a hot start and was not afraid to take his shots, shaking the NBA Finals jitters off right away.

What seems to be a common theme on defense for the Thunder was again prevalent in the first quarter. OKC forced 24 turnovers all game long, with nine in the first quarter, constantly applying pressure and making life hard for the Indiana offense.

That tight defense helped the Thunder earn a 29-20 lead at the end of the first quarter, with the Pacers still looking for their footing on both sides of the ball with three more to go.

Gilgeous-Alexander went to the bench for the first time in the finals to start the second quarter, forcing everyone else to find a means of offensive production. The first to do so was guard Alex Caruso, who scored a quick four points.

Bench guard Ajay Mitchell, who was getting minutes while their usual guards got rest. It was only four minutes of action, but he recorded three offensive rebounds and helped with the team's pace and spacing as well. This was one of the first times he's seen the court in the playoffs, not in the final minutes.

With Gilgeous-Alexander off the court, the Pacers slowly crept closer to OKC. A triple from guard Tyrese Haliburton and some buckets from Ryan Nembhard helped narrow that lead, forcing Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault to bring his MVP back into the game.

The Thunder's lead would increase shortly after, but not because of Gilgeous-Alexander directly. Two consecutive three-point baskets from Lu Dort brought their lead to 10 points with minutes waning off the second-quarter clock. Everything continued to go in favor of Oklahoma City for the rest of the quarter, holding a 57-45 lead heading into the break.

Gilgeous-Alexander was extremely aggressive on offense, even more than normal. He finished the game with 38 points on 14-for-30 shooting, adding five rebounds to his stat line. Gilgeous-Alexander started the game a little shaky, but came into his own just enough.

The most puzzling matter of all was Haliburton's aggressiveness and performance in general. He finished the game with 14 points, recording 10 rebounds and six assists. Haliburton was neutralized all night, regardless of who was guarding him. He did nail the game-winning shot, despite his poor shooting performance.

Oklahoma City continued to control the game on both sides, while Indiana still didn't look settled into the game. They did start turning the ball over less and started to find some more improved looks, seemingly staying within striking distance, but OKC still had control in the third quarter.

The perimeter shot was a friend for both teams in this battle, with Oklahoma City going 11-for-30 from outside and Indiana 18-for-39. Gilgeous-Alexander made three and Dort fiveThe for the Thunder, while Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith did the most damage for Indiana.

Despite Indiana gaining more of a feel for the game over the third quarter, the Thunder took their largest lead of the game at 15 points to open the fourth. That was short-lived, with triples from Toppin and center Myles Turner narrowing the lead. Two more from Turner and Toppin shortly after made it a four-point game.

Toppin was nothing short of incredible for the Pacers in this game. He finished the game with 17 points and five rebounds, going 5-for-8 from outside. He was one of the leading scorers for the Pacers and without his production on that end, the game wouldn't have been close.

It was close and OKC showed moments of duress as the fourth quarter wound down and Nembahrd was the reason for it. He hit clutch shot after clutch shot, leaving the Pacers with only a one-point deficit with under 30 seconds to play.

The next game of the series tips off at 7 p.m. CT on Sunday, June 8.