Thunder Journal: Game 1s Suck
Oof. That one hurt.
The Thunder led Game 1 of the NBA Finals for 47 minutes, 59 seconds and 7 deciseconds. Seemingly up between 9-12 points the whole time. But those final .3 seconds gave Indiana a 1-0 lead over OKC in the NBA Finals.
But this is what the Pacers do. Ask the Knicks. Or the Cavs. Or the Bucks. Or SGA: “It is a 48-minute game. [The Pacers] teach you that lesson more than anyone else in the league the hard way.”
I still believe OKC is the better team. 68 wins is not a fluke. 29-1 against the East is not a stroke of luck. The greatest point differential in NBA history is not happenstance. But the Pacers’ comeback superpowers and Haliburton’s clutch shot making are also very real.
Alex Caruso had the postgame quote of the night: “If that doesn’t hurt right now or if you’re not frustrated, there’s something wrong with you.” I think it’s fair to say that there’s nothing wrong with a million Thunder fans today because...oof, that one hurt.
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The similarities between this game and Game 1 of the Nuggets series was a reoccurring theme in the postgame. OKC had full control of both games from wire to almost wire. In the final few minutes of both series openers, the Thunder let go of a big lead as the Nuggets/Pacers kept hitting clutch free throws/buckets, culminating in a buzzer beating game winner. Against Denver, OKC responded with a 43 point win in Game 2.
Or as SGA said: “We lost Game 1. We’ve lost Game 1 before. We’ve come out on the other side of that a better team. That’s our goal.”
Journal Bolts
- Look, of all people, I can never throw stones when it comes to reporters asking an NBA player a bad question. As I’m pretty sure I’m the only media member in sports history to ask an athlete if he pooped. But Jalen Williams was asked in the postgame what it was like being on the wrong end of a Tyrese Haliburton game winner. JDub answered in the exact way any of us would: “I mean, it sucks.”
- I can read the room and realize right now is not the time to bring up any “despite the loss” stats. But it’s worth mentioning that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 38 points is the most in an NBA Finals debut since Allen Iverson in 2001. SGA also had 3 steals, shot 3-6 from 3, committed just 2 turnovers and was a +3 in his 40 minutes.
