Oklahoma City Thunder News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Oct 23, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Three Takeaways From the Thunder's Second Double Overtime Win in a Row

Originally posted on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI
By Grayson Buchanan | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 11:09 PM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder traveled to Indiana for their first matchup against the Pacers since last year’s NBA finals.

This physical back-and-forth battle saw 70 fouls and 91 free throws taken between the two teams. The Thunder have now completed another feat, as they became the first team in NBA history to play in double overtime in their first two NBA season games.

As regulation was winding down, Chet Holmgren made two free throws to put the Thunder up 112-111. The Pacers would miss a three and then foul Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who would only make one of two free throws. Pascal Siakam would then hit a pull-up jump shot with 6.5 seconds to tie the game. Gilgeous-Alexander would try to win the game as time expired, but was doubled and missed a three as the clock hit zero.

Overtime followed suit in this battle as it came down to the wire. Gilgeous-Alexander seemed to have a lane to the rim as time expired, but he wasn’t able to convert as time expired once again, sending the game to a second overtime.

Finally, in the second overtime, the Thunder were able to pull away and secure their second win of the season, 141-135.

It was Gilgeous-Alexander who led the way for the Thunder as he had 55 points, eight rebounds and five assists. The MVP was aggressive Thursday night as he shot 26 free throws and made 23 of them.

This was yet another tough game for the Thunder, and down the stretch, more things about this team were learned.

Here are three takeaways from the Thunders when over the Pacers.

1. Ajay Mitchell is ready to contribute right now

The second-year guard was given an expanded role tonight due to injuries present within the Thunder’s roster, and he made the most of it. Mitchell played a total of 38 minutes and in that time had 26 points, which is a new career high.

OKC trusted Mitchell tonight as he even played all the way into overtime for the Thunder and was a key factor in their win. Mitchell has been a Thunder player expected to make a jump in his contribution this season, and in the first two games of the season, he has proven he has the capability to do it.

2. OKC’s defense keeps them in games

The Thunder defense was one of the biggest reasons the Thunder were able to stay in the game. In the first quarter, the Thunder were 0-7 from beyond the arc, and yet they only trailed by three at the end of the quarter. OKC continued to struggle shooting the ball from three as they only shot 28.6% from three on the night, but the Oklahoma City defense was able to cut its offense some slack with its hard play.

Something that the Thunder are great at but won’t necessarily show up in the stat sheet is their speed on defense. The Pacers are a fast-paced team that likes to push the ball fast and pass the ball fast, but the tremendous speed of the Thunder getting down the court and playing help defense caused commotion for Indiana, which caused contested shots.

3. The Thunder’s depth will be extremely valuable as the season continues

Oklahoma City only brought 11 players to tonight's game due to five rotational players being out with injuries. These injuries put Aaron Wiggins into the starting lineup and gave younger players the chance to play a bigger role than usual. In a situation where almost every other team would fold, the Thunder found a way to get the job done.

Wiggins thrived in his starter role as he had 23 points and nine rebounds. He was also a lone bright spot in the Thunder’s three-point shooting as he made three of his six shots from beyond the arc.

Bench players such as Mitchell, Jaylin Williams and Brooks Barnhizer played valuable minutes and contributed down the stretch. Barnhizer and Williams might not have had many points, but their defense and tough playstyle kept the Thunder in the game.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: