Perimeter Shooting Costs OKC Thunder in Loss to Pacers

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Indiana Pacers 117-114 Friday night at Paycom Center for the team's ninth loss of the season. The number of the point differential, three, was prevalent throughout the night, with the three-point shot being a key difference between a close loss and another Thunder victory.

The Thunder shot 7-for-26, 26.9% from behind the three-point line in the loss. In comparison, the Pacers shot a blistering 16-for-38, 42.1% from distance.

The only aspect of offense that kept OKC in the game was its shooting from the free-throw line. The team shot 90% with 27 makes compared to Indiana's 11 makes on 55%. The Thunder's three misses at the line equaled the difference in the game.

The Thunder had the opportunity to right all wrongs from distance on the game's last offensive action, but the usually reliable Isaiah Joe missed a clean, but falling away, look from the left corner. Joe made no threes on five attempts in the loss, just his sixth game with no made threes on the season and his second time doing so on five attempts.

The rest of the Thunder struggled from distance as well, with just two players on the team hitting on more than one shot from long range: Chet Holmgren, who hit two and Cason Wallace, who hit three. In comparison, three Thunder players who attempted a triple failed to convert on one: Joe, Luguentz Dort, who shot five attempts and Kenrich Williams, who shot two.

On the other side of the matchup, Indiana knocked down three-point shots all throughout the night. The team opened the outing on fire, hitting six of its first 11 attempts from distance.

Andrew Nembhard dominated the game, with great overall scoring and a stellar night from distance. Nembhard scored 27 points, knocking down four of his seven attempts from beyond the arc.

Jarace Walker put together one of his best games of the season, scoring 26 points and knocking down three triples on 50% shooting. Overall, the Pacers had six players knock down multiple three-pointers.

Three-point differentials have been the constant in OKC's nine losses this season. This fact dates back to last season's playoff run as well.

With its constant defense, the Thunder just have to shoot at an average clip to win games by a margin, but when the shooting is poor, the game happens to be close. Close games have a likelihood to end in close losses, which have been all but three of OKC's nine so far.