Oklahoma City witnessed a defensive clinic from the Thunder in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals, a display so intense it forced the Pacers into 19 turnovers of every conceivable kind — reckless travels, errant passes stranded in no-man’s land, and misfires that would make any coach grimace. Yet, despite this suffocating defensive pressure and Indiana’s uncharacteristically sloppy mistakes, the Pacers stubbornly clawed back, refusing to be buried. Trailing by 15 with under ten minutes remaining, Oklahoma City seemed poised for an easy victory. But as we’ve learned time and again this postseason, Indiana’s grit and resolve make them a nightmare to put away early — and sure enough, they rallied in dramatic fashion, stealing Game 1 right from under the Thunder’s nose with a heart-stopping last-second shot. The crowd at Paycom Center fell into stunned silence, left to ponder how a team that struggled so mightily yet found a way to win. If the Thunder want to rewrite the script, they’ll need to summon that same resolve that carried them through past playoff battles, shake off this gut-wrenching loss, and come back firing on all cylinders in Game 2. LEARN MOREThey did it to Milwaukee. They did it to Cleveland. They did it to New York. And in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, they did it to Oklahoma City, 111-110, leaving a capacity crowd at Paycom Center bereft in stunned silence, and a 68-win juggernaut as the latest victim of Indiana’s incomparable brand of grand theft — reeling from the same sort of jarring, reality-altering blow that befell the Pacers’ previous opponents.“I mean, it sucks,” said Thunder forward Jalen Williams. “I don’t know.”Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only
one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only
one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only
one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only
one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only
one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only
one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only
one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only
one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only
one loss.
Daigneault espoused confidence that his players would be able to do that — to compartmentalize, to lean on their preparation and habits, to be “able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game.” That process starts, as Caruso sees it, with remembering that even the most painful loss is only one loss.
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