OKLAHOMA CITY — Despite Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 47 points amidst an 18-point comeback, coach Mark Daigneault and the defending champions came up short in their Finals rematch against the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers defeated the Thunder 117-114 at the Paycom Center.
After the loss, Daigneault tipped his cap to the Pacers for their tenacious approach that kept the Thunder trailing after its only lead of the night — 2-0 — in the first minute of the opening frame.
“They made plays. Credit them. They made enough plays. Zooming out, the lesson is: when you’re in a deficit like that, that's what a deficit does to you,” Daigneault said. “It really limits your margin for error for the rest of the game. It doesn’t mean you can’t come back and win. It's a 48-minute game. It was obviously a winnable game for us tonight.
“But when you go down that much in the first half, it takes a lot of effort to get back in, and then, it comes down to a play here or there, and obviously, they were more than two plays better than us tonight.”
Mark Daigneault on the Pacers’ late/game execution: “The lesson is when you’re in a deficit like that… It really limits your margin for error for the rest of the game.
Doesn’t mean you can’t come back and win… that was obviously a winnable game for us tonight” pic.twitter.com/VGDpWDeIx0
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) January 24, 2026
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder pulled to within one (115-114) with 7.8 seconds left, but came up short in the end, as Isaiah Joe missed a corner three that would have most likely sent the game into overtime. The Pacers regained possession with 1.0 seconds left before closing out a three-point victory.
Mark Daigneault credits Pacers' full-game effort vs. Thunder
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault credits the Pacers' 48-minute effort in a game where the defending champions' 18-point comeback fell short in the final seconds of regulation. Ajay Mitchell joined the Thunder's extended injury report ahead of a three-game homestand at the Paycom Center, while the Pacers geared up for one of their most impressive wins of the season.
The Pacers handed the Thunder only its third home loss, as Daigneault appreciated his team's effort, knowing how close his team was to forcing overtime late in the fourth quarter.
“The fight and then the competitiveness of the team was great. I thought we played really well despite it not being a very good shooting night,” Daigneault said. “We played well enough to win for 36 minutes in the 48, and credit them, they played for 48, and they held us off when we tried to get back into it multiple times.”
While the Pacers remained consistent from the perimeter, connecting on 16-of-38, led by Andrew Nembhard's four triples, the Thunder finished the night 7-of-26 from deep.
