Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Offered Simple Take for Thunder's Focus After Game 1 Loss

The Thunder led the entirety of Game 1 except in the last 0.3 seconds when Tyrese Haliburton shot a game-winning jumper.

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept things in perspective after Oklahoma City's Game 1 loss to the Pacers. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder led the entirety of Game 1 of the NBA Finals vs. the Indiana Pacers, except for the last 0.3 seconds after Tyrese Haliburton hit the game-winning jumper for the Pacers.

The ending of Game 1 was extremely shocking to NBA fans, as it looked like the Thunder would run away with the win since they led by as much as 15 points in the fourth quarter. The odds didn't work in the Thunder's favor on Thursday night, though, as they now trail 0–1 in the series.

After the game, NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't dwell on the loss too much. He kept his reflection simple, stating that the Thunder just need to focus on winning four games before the Pacers can win three more.

"We just got to focus on being better," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "This series isn't first to one, it's first to four. So, we have four more games to get, they have three, that's just where we are. We gotta understand that. We gotta get to four before they get to three if we wanna win the NBA championship, it's that simple. It's not rocket science. We lost Game 1, we have to be better."

"It's not rocket science... We have to be better." 🗣️

SGA reacts to a stunning OKC loss in Game 1 of the #NBAFinals. pic.twitter.com/fCURoQEPsO

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 6, 2025

Gilgeous-Alexander is right—this was just Game 1. The Thunder have plenty of time to make a comeback and win four games to secure the team's first NBA title in Oklahoma City. (The franchise won the 1979 championship as the Seattle SuperSonics.)

Game 2 takes place back in Oklahoma City on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET.

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