NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
OKLAHOMA CITY— The 2025 NBA Finals kicked off with tipoff occurring shortly after 8:30 p.m. ET. The enthusiastic crowd at Paycom Center erupted into cheers as the Oklahoma City Thunder took to the court, eager to secure their first championship since the franchise’s arrival in 2008.
About an hour later, the Indiana Pacers joined the competition.
During the first half, the Pacers seemed overly tense, which manifested in rushed play, a lack of adherence to their strategy, and, most concerning, an unprecedented number of turnovers.
To clarify: No team has ever recorded 19 turnovers in a half during an NBA Finals game—whether in the first or second half—until the Pacers did so on that Thursday night in Game 1.
This was the opposite of what they planned to execute against the aggressive Thunder defense, and it seemed destined to lead to their downfall in the second half. However, they managed to break free from their self-imposed constraints thanks to a signature game-winning shot from guard Tyrese Haliburton.
TYRESE HALIBURTON PUTS THE PACERS IN FRONT!
TUNE IN TO ABC FOR THE CLIMAX! pic.twitter.com/l4SPrNspGG
— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2025
In the visitor’s locker room, away from the spotlight, the Pacers took a moment to regroup and reassess their emotions. If they had dared to glance in the mirrors tucked beneath the raucous stands, they might have encountered an unsettling reflection of themselves.
Although their shooting performance wasn’t disastrous, the scoreboard was not in their favor: OKC 57, Indiana 45. They had achieved only five fewer field goals than the Thunder but were losing ground with their turnovers, resulting in 19 fewer shots attempted.
The Eastern Conference champions had built their season on valuing possession. Averaging just 13.2 turnovers per game during the regular season, they ranked among the best, improving slightly to 12.7 through three playoff rounds against the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks.
Remarkably, despite the multitude of errors, the Thunder had only capitalized with nine points off those turnovers. Nevertheless, this was not a viable strategy for success—rather, a blueprint for failure.
“We enjoy a bit of controlled chaos,” Haliburton stated, “but that was just chaos. It was pretty ugly.”
A shift was necessary.
Indiana outscored Oklahoma City 32-16 in the last 9:42, overcoming a 15-point deficit in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
It’s easy yet unproductive to approach the third quarter with the mindset of “just take better care of the ball.” But what does that truly mean? Adjusting on the fly against one of the NBA’s most aggressive defenses, emboldened by their ability to force turnovers in the Finals?
“We recognized the need to prioritize possession,” center Myles Turner explained, detailing their approach. “We made sure to have two hands and two eyes on the ball. Whoever was passing kept it elevated. We revisited the basics—sometimes, returning to fundamentals is essential. Keeping your chin on the ball, stuff like that.”
In the first half, four different Pacers each had three or more turnovers. In the second half, none did. They committed only five turnovers, and OKC could convert those into just two points.
Ultimately, Indiana outperformed the favored home team with a score of 66-53 in the second half, including a 35-25 lead in the fourth quarter. The Pacers’ offense regained its composure, shooting 51% overall in the half, including 10-of-20 from beyond the arc, while producing 1.4 points per possession. All five starters and key substitute Obi Toppin—part of a team that struggled significantly in the first half—recorded impressive plus-minuses in the second.
There was only one lead change throughout the entire game, and it occurred at a critical moment. Had the Pacers not found their rhythm, improved their passing, and taken into account the Thunder’s aggressive defense, Haliburton’s climactic moment may not have unfolded.
“The turnovers were our primary focus,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “We did well on the boards, but they had 20 more shots than we did in the first half. It was a misleading statistic… So we reset. We needed to play whistle-to-whistle in the third quarter, chip away at their lead, and stay competitive.”
Turner reflected on their awareness: “We knew how this team operated. At this level, there’s no time to be taken aback or feel disappointed. It was probably a historic low for us, but we withstood the challenge.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged the Pacers’ improvement: “I think they calmed themselves and safeguarded the ball better… But I felt our inability to convert off their turnovers in the first half set us back a bit. We didn’t harness the energy we usually get when forcing turnovers.”
“It’s just not in our nature, but credit to their defense. They operate on such a different level when it comes to disrupting plays and forcing mistakes,” remarked Indiana’s Pascal Siakam.
While Indiana managed to patch things up on the fly on Thursday, they will dedicate time to analyzing their performance before Game 2 on Sunday (8 ET, ABC). This opportunity to learn against the formidable Thunder defense must not be squandered.
For OKC, while pressuring an opponent into 25 turnovers is significant, translating those into points is crucial. That’s the opportunity Daigneault referred to. After all, it’s not enjoyable to turn a game into a chaotic contest without the corresponding rewards.
* * *
Steve Aschburner has been covering the NBA since 1980. You can reach him via email here, view his archive here, and follow him on X.
The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA, its teams, or Warner Bros. Discovery.
