Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Shows Serious Respect for Pacers' Comeback Ability After Loss

The league MVP is very aware for what Indiana has done during this remarkable playoff run.

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gave the Pacers plenty of credit after Indiana's remarkable Game 1 road win. / via ESPN

The 2025 Indiana Pacers aren't officially dead until the clock strikes zero. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder made clear after their heartbreaking Game 1 loss that they know this fact well. But they still experienced the Pacers' flair for the dramatic comeback first-hand on Thursday night.

Indiana had not held the lead at any point until star point guard Tyrese Haliburton knocked down a go-ahead bucket with just .3 seconds left on the clock, a shot that proved to be the game-winner in the Pacers' 111–110 victory. The win marked Indiana's fifth comeback of 15 or more points during their postseason run.

"We had control of the game for the most part of it. Now, it is a 48-minute game, and [the Pacers] teach you that lesson more than anyone else in the league the hard way," Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game.

"It is a 48-minute game. [The Pacers] teach you that lesson more than anyone else in the league the hard way.”

—SGA after the Game 1 loss to Indiana pic.twitter.com/v2vtTPgtpA

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 6, 2025

The league MVP showed some serious respect for his opponents after surrendering the big lead, as did his coach, Mark Daigneault, who credited Indiana for not quitting and playing with "great spirit" despite digging themselves a big hole.

At the same time, Gilgeous-Alexander remains confident moving forward, emphasizing that it is a seven-game series and there is plenty of basketball to be played.

"This series isn't first to one, it's first to four," he said. "So, we have four more games to get, they have three, that's just where we are."

Having lost home-court advantage for the time being, OKC has a few days to refocus and lock in before a Game 2 rematch on Sunday night. Tip-off at Paycom Center is set for 8 p.m. ET.

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