Social Media Reacts to Pacers Stealing Game 1 vs. OKC Thunder

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder failed to outlast Indiana, falling late on a Tyrese Haliburton jumper.

The Thunder were the better team in the first half, forcing 20 turnovers to OKC's four, coasting to a 12-point lead.

In the third quarter, Indiana would slightly cut into Oklahoma City's lead, before a white-hot stretch in the fourth made the lead just one point. From there, the Pacers shot-making would carry them much like the rest of the postseason, with Haliburton hitting the go-ahead winner with just 0.3 on the clock.

Here's how social media reacted to Game 1 of the NBA Finals:

Let's get the NBA Finals started ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/5ZBaeWHWNI
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) June 6, 2025

first five of the Finals. pic.twitter.com/oZQdOcYIPr
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 6, 2025

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander opens it up for the Thunder with a really nice layup in traffic.
— Michael Martin (@MichaelOnSports) June 6, 2025

JDub takes it himself for 3⃣

OKC on a 7-0 run to begin the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV on ABC 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/KqB9bnO58a
— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2025

This defense is suffocating.
— AJ (@AJ3Jazz) June 6, 2025

That was TOUGH Nembhard
— The Daniel Bell© (@BasketballGuruD) June 6, 2025

Insane shotmaking from the Pacers, my goodness
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) June 6, 2025

The Pacers are the basketball version of jump scare in a horror movie. Think you’re safe…. BOOM.
— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) June 6, 2025

The way the Pacers play is so funny…

Like, why not play with this sense of urgency all game?

It’s the NBA Finals!
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) June 6, 2025

What an unbelievable Game 1. We are blessed.
— Carson Breber (@Carsobi) June 6, 2025

No way. Haliburton scores. Pacers lead 111-110 with 0.3 seconds left
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) June 6, 2025

Disastrous quarter for Toppin
— Basketball Poetry (@bballispoetry) June 6, 2025

Pacers have 7 turnovers in 10 minutes of this game

They averaged 12.5 a game in the Knicks series
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) June 6, 2025

Mark Daigneault is eyeing the record for most players used in the first half of an NBA Finals game. No clue what the record is, btw, but 11 is a lot!
— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) June 6, 2025

Dub needs to put his head down and drive
— THE UNCONTESTED PODCAST (@The_Uncontested) June 6, 2025

CARUSHOW OH ME OH MY
— Stan Him Boomer Sooner (Hunter Harjo) (@hunterharjo7) June 6, 2025

Still cant shoot pic.twitter.com/bSYj4Rfjbm
— 𝐙 (@homahoops) June 6, 2025

Haliburton fake... Haliburton triple 🤩

It's a 6-point game on ABC! pic.twitter.com/QNC8c5KuGj
— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2025

NBA FINALS LU DORT
— TF (@ThunderFocus) June 6, 2025

15 Pacers turnovers.

SGA, Dub, & Chet a combined 8/25FG.

4mins left in the 2ndQ. You would think OKC starts hitting some shots and pulls away in this one.
— Sam Humphreys (@SamHumphreys34) June 6, 2025

19 first-half turnovers for Indiana,

Just masterful work by this Thunder defense.
— Derek Parker (@DParkOK) June 6, 2025

Pacers are doing a better job of getting downhill + creating mismatches for Pascal but being a little timid to pull the trigger on passes/shots

The residue of OKC’s defense
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) June 6, 2025

Really impressive minutes from Cason early in this second half. Attacking Hali in a number of ways — beat him as a driver, rolled for a bucket after Hali showed on Shai, and created the initial penetration to find a cutting J Dub. Big for him to contribute offensively like that.
— Carson Breber (@Carsobi) June 6, 2025

5 THREES AND COUNTING FOR NO. 5⃣ TONIGHT pic.twitter.com/ogfFw4ijQS
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 6, 2025

LU FREAKING DORT
— Kinsey Lee (@kinseyleetv) June 6, 2025

BIG GAME LU DORT
— Steve Pierce (@PostJimmer) June 6, 2025

Both JDub and Chet have been awful offensively.

OKC is gonna need at least one of them to step up and play like an all-star.
— Cooper Jones (@CooperJNBA) June 6, 2025

Now that OKC has some Finals experience I can confidently say that they're a contender.
— Tyler (@tylerbritton_) June 6, 2025

FOURTH QUARTER DUB IS HERE
— Steve Pierce (@PostJimmer) June 6, 2025

Shotgun blasts to the chest hurt less than Mike Breen saying, "Largest lead of the game!" when it's against your team.
— Scoops (@ejmaroun) June 6, 2025

The greatest defense I’ve ever watched
— 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒆 🌩 (@Three_Cone) June 6, 2025

J-Dub picked that off like a Cornerback pic.twitter.com/VD8MlMIuUx
— pissboi (@PizzafaceJake) June 6, 2025

“Largest lead of the game, timeout Indiana!”

One of my favorite combinations of words.
— Travis J Davidson (@TravisSkol) June 6, 2025

Finals 4th Quarter JDub.

Jalen Williams has 3 buckets in the opening 2 minutes of the final frame.

Including a fast break steal for a slam.

Biggest roar from Loud City of the night.

Thunder up 94-79.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) June 6, 2025

PUT ALEX CARUSO IN HALL OF FAME TOMORROW
— 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒆 🌩 (@Three_Cone) June 6, 2025

wild how big an 11 point lead feels compared to every other series the pacers have been in
— subscribe to the state of the league patreon (@JoestarJokic) June 6, 2025

Come for Shai vs Hali
Stay for Caruso vs Toppin
— Jerry Ramsey (@TVsJerry) June 6, 2025

Here is where the Pacers thrive…
— Tayler Peterson (@Tayler_P15) June 6, 2025

Thunder will need to be sharp on both ends to finish this one out,

Pacers not going away — feels like they only get better in crunch-time.
— Derek Parker (@DParkOK) June 6, 2025

This Oklahoma City Thunder experience is like no other. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced an arena this loud, and if I have, it’s only comparable to Oracle Arena. This is insane.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 6, 2025

FANTASTIC one drawn up by Mark Daigneault out of the timeout for the Thunder.

Cason Wallace gets a wide open layup off the cut.
— Michael Martin (@MichaelOnSports) June 6, 2025

Pacers don’t quit. This team is so fun.
— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) June 6, 2025

That is just a tough bucket by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hellbent on getting to the rim and steadying this thing for OKC.
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) June 6, 2025

So many layers SGA just tears through.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) June 6, 2025

the pacers cannot be destroyed pic.twitter.com/XhLgkRxGNx
— J. Kyle Mann (@jkylemann) June 6, 2025

WHAT A FINISH SHAI
— 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒆 🌩 (@Three_Cone) June 6, 2025

Game on the line, SGA putting the team on his shoulders.
— Daily Thunder (@dailythunder) June 6, 2025

Thunder is now 0-2 on the wrong side of controversial lane violations in the playoffs.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) June 6, 2025