The late Thunder run helps OKC pull away and defeat the Pacers

So far this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have had no problems with slow starts. In a 120-114 win against the Indiana Pacers, a poor start and a large early deficit bailed OKC out of trouble. A late start and the help of the entire squad saw them cross the finish line first at the end of the game.

The Thunder scored 3-for-17 in the first quarter and trailed 29-19 at the end of the first half. It took OKC just under nine minutes to reach double-digit points, a sign of its poor offensive performance in the first quarter. Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot 2-for-8 in the first period, another new deficit to start with. He quickly turned the game around, scoring 22 points in the first half and 45 by the time the buzzer sounded.

Three-point shooting continues to be a challenge for the Thunder. OKC shot 13 of 37 from long range, just above its season average of 34.9%.

Oklahoma City started small early in the second quarter with help from guards Jalen Williams and Lu Dort. Both made three-pointers and, coupled with 100 percent shooting at the free throw line from rookie Ajay Mitchell, left the Thunder only five points behind. This small difference wouldn’t last long.

Throughout the game, whether it went in or not, Indiana had no trouble getting inside and making great shot attempts against OKC’s notoriously strong defense. TJ McConnell, Indiana’s backup point guard, was often open at the rim, as were Andrew Nembhard and Benedict Mathurin near midfield.

A surge from Gileous-Alexander late in the quarter would cut OKC’s deficit to eight points, losing 61-53.

Not a single player stood out in the Pacers’ statistics. Forwards Pascal Siakam, Nembhard and Mathurin each scored in double figures in the starting lineup, with Siakam scoring 22 points, Nembhard 23 and Mathurin 18.

OKC quickly reduced that deficit early in the second half and turned the rest of the game into a dogfight. Although the score was closer, Oklahoma City never managed to take the lead in the third quarter. On the other hand, it was just enough to keep the Pacers from pulling away. This was the case for most of the quarter.

Indiana switched to a zone defense to counter OKC’s lack of perimeter scoring late in the third quarter. After a possession with effective ball movement, Dort found himself wide open in the right corner with a three-pointer, tying the game. A rim basket from Gilgeous-Alexander and a second-chance goal from Dort gave OKC a 103-play, 83-79 lead heading into the third period. After all that effort, forward Jarace Walker put the Pacers back on top with two straight attacks, but the Thunder were right back in the game.

The Pacers got a great scoring boost from their bench with Walker and McConnell. Walker finished the night with 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting and McConnell had 13 on 6-for-9 shooting. At the beginning of the fourth quarter and towards the end of the third quarter, Walker made several impactful throws.

As the fourth quarter progressed, both teams exchanged baskets. Neither team managed to pull away until the Thunder did it with less than a minute to play. A three-pointer from Gilgeous-Alexander and several efficient efforts at the free throw line from Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander and center Isaiah Hartenstein helped the Thunder build and extend a lead.

After a close win over the Pacers, Oklahoma City travels to Charlotte to play the Hornets on Saturday, December 26th at 5:00 p.m. ET.

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