Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Makes NBA Finals History During Game 1 vs. Pacers originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their chase for a championship at home on Thursday night as they hosted the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

It was a great start to the game for the Thunder as they forced the Pacers to turn the ball over 19 times in the first half en route to a 12-point lead at halftime.

Oklahoma City was able to hold the lead through the rest of the game but they were never able to pull away from Indiana like they have against teams in the past this season which allowed the Pacers to complete another comeback in the fourth quarter.

Tyrese Haliburton was the hero for the Pacers as he knocked down the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds remaining, which was the only time Indiana led in the game.

HALI DOES IT AGAIN

O.M.G. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/DOhawajLCy

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 6, 2025

This was an epic collapse by Oklahoma City and also an uncharacteristic one for them with how they have blown teams out this season.

While the Thunder let Game 1 slip away, their star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an incredible performance in his first career NBA Finals game as he recorded 38 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

With this performance, Shai also made NBA Finals history as his 38 points were the third-most ever in an NBA Finals debut behind Allen Iverson’s 48 points and George Mikan’s 42 points.

Best scoring debuts in Finals history

Allen Iverson (2001): 48 points
George Mikan (1949): 42 points
SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER (2025): 38 points

It’s the best mark ever in a Finals debut that ended with a loss.

— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) June 6, 2025

Shai’s point total was also the most by a player in their Finals debut that ended in a loss, which is not what the MVP or his team wanted to have happen.

Of course, Shai’s performance flew under the radar on Thursday after Haliburton’s game-winning shot but he continues to put up historic performances, which is a major reason why Oklahoma City is in the Finals.

Shai and the Thunder will now look to bounce back after their loss in Game 1 as they try to avoid falling down 2-0 in the series on Sunday night at home in Game 2.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.