Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti acquired 2020 NBA champion Alex Caruso to give his squad a veteran presence and valuable big-game experience. The 31-year-old guard has validated the lauded executive’s faith throughout the season and playoffs, famously taking on Denver Nuggets juggernaut Nikola Jokic on defense and drilling several clutch 3-pointers during this run. But beyond the statistics and poise, OKC covets the wisdom he can provide in defeat.
And boy does that squad need it after a crushing 111-110 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Uncontrollable enthusiasm suffused the Paycom Center at opening tip-off — fans waited 13 years to get back here — but a chilling silence overcame the arena by the time the final buzzer sounded. Tyrese Haliburton gave the crowd little time to process what just happened, nailing a go-ahead pull-up jump shot with only 0.3 seconds left on the clock.
Indiana gained the lead for the first time all night, and it stuck. The Thunder forced a historic 19 turnovers in the first half, but they could not capitalize on them on the offensive end (11 points off 25 turnovers). The team led by 15 points a couple minutes into the fourth quarter and were up nine with less than three minutes left, but inefficient shooting and poor 3-point defense enabled the seemingly unbreakable Pacers to snatch victory at the end.
When a young team like Oklahoma City loses in excruciating fashion, it is important that one or multiple individuals assumes damage control duties in the locker room. Caruso is surely a candidate to fill that role given that he is the senior NBA player of this group. He vocalized the obvious, but it is something the Thunder must acknowledge as they prepare for Game 2.
Alex Caruso and the Thunder must quickly learn from this heartbreaker
“We lost the game. I thought we played good enough to win,” Caruso said, per OKC Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza, after posting 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting with six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. “We just didn’t finish the game.”
Besides MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who dropped a game-high 38 points, OKC could not get into an offensive groove. Chet Holmgren scored only six points in 24 minutes. Jalen Williams was an inefficient 6-of-19 from the floor. The team as a whole shot below 40 percent.
Additionally, the Thunder failed to assert their physicality on the glass, ceding 56 rebounds to Indiana. Sam Presti signed Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $87 million contract last summer, identifying him as the final piece of a championship puzzle. He nearly recorded a double-double but played just 17 minutes.
Both he and Alex Caruso, the organization’s other vital offseason acquisition, will likely need to have a big impact on the remainder of the 2025 NBA Finals if this franchise is going to survive Thursday’s debacle. The latter is maintaining perspective, however. The Thunder bounced back after an inexplicable collapse versus the Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals and also shook off an embarrassing loss in the last round against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Counts the same as when we lost by 40 in Minnesota — the same as when we lost by two or three to Denver — It’s all worth one,” Caruso told reporters postgame, per Derek Parker of Oklahoma City Thunder On SI. “Silver lining, but it’s a loss. If that doesn’t hurt right now, then obviously something’s wrong with you.”
They can either let this wound fester or use the pain as a potent reminder for when another pivotal moment inevitably presents itself this series. Game 2 is on Sunday night.
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