INDIANAPOLIS — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matched his career-best performance by scoring 45 points, propelling the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-114 win against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander displayed an impressive shooting performance, making 15 out of 22 attempts from the floor and converting all 11 of his free-throw attempts, contributing to the Thunder’s ongoing success with their ninth straight win.
Supporting him were Jalen Williams, who contributed 20 points, and Isaiah Hartenstein, who recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
For the Pacers, Andrew Nembhard led the scoring with 23 points, and Pascal Siakam added 22 points and 10 rebounds. The Pacers saw their five-game winning streak come to an end. Bennedict Mathurin chipped in with 18 points, while Myles Turner grabbed 11 rebounds.
The game turned pivotal after Tyrese Haliburton’s basket pushed the Pacers to a 107-103 lead; however, the Thunder responded vigorously with an 8-0 run, taking a 111-107 advantage with just 1:39 left on the clock.
The Pacers had led by as many as 15 points during the first half and carried a 61-53 lead into the halftime break. They maintained a slim 84-83 edge heading into the final quarter, thanks to a 3-pointer from Jarace Walker just before the third quarter buzzer.
Observations from the game showed that Gilgeous-Alexander was crucial in maintaining momentum for the Thunder, who experienced 11 lead changes throughout the game. Despite battling back and forth, Oklahoma City did not claim the lead until the third quarter. Notably, the Thunder played without key defensive player Alex Caruso, who is sidelined due to a strained left hip sustained earlier in the week against Washington.
On the other side, Indiana struggled to overcome a rare off-night from Haliburton, who managed only four points. Obi Toppin sprained his left ankle during the first quarter but attempted a brief return in the second quarter before sitting out the remainder of the game.
A pivotal moment occurred when Gilgeous-Alexander drained a 3-pointer from 26 feet, extending the Thunder’s lead to 114-109 with just 59 seconds remaining.
A key statistic from the game indicated that the Pacers committed 11 turnovers, which was eight more than the Thunder managed.
Looking ahead, the Thunder will face off against Charlotte on Saturday, while the Pacers will travel to Boston for their next matchup on Friday.
