The Oklahoma City Thunder were not able to close out Game 1 of the NBA Finals and lost 111-110 to the Indiana Pacers. The Thunder were in control for the entire game until the final seconds, when they were not able to execute.

Head coach Mark Daigneault made a few decisions toward the end of the game that may have changed the outcome, such as going small and electing to sit both Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.

That came back to bite them, as they were outrebounded 56-39. After the game, many people pointed to that specific decision as to why the Thunder may have lost.

“Mark Daigneault‘s biggest regret might be canceling his big men, especially Chet Holmgren. The Thunder were outscored by nine points in the minutes Holmgren and Hartenstein were both off of the floor in the fourth quarter,” one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Mark Daigneault tries to get cute and thinks he’s out smarting everyone in every game. Once OKC went small guard lineup pacers went on the run. WTF is he thinking? Get Chet or Ihart in there. What a weirdo man,” another user wrote.

Another decision that many people didn't understand was inserting Cason Wallace into the starting lineup.

Article Continues Below
More Thunder News
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carries the Larry O'Brien trophy as he celebrates with fans as the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate their first NBA Finals title win with a champions parade throughout downtown Oklahoma City on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Best Thunder roster moves that led to the 2025 NBA championship, rankedSpencer See ·
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) shoots against Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the third quarter of game five of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center.
The player Oklahoma City Thunder must avoid in 2025 NBA free agencyRohan Brahmbhatt ·
Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) speaks to fans during the Champions Opening Ceremony for the parade inside the Paycom Center
Thunder’s Alex Caruso gushes over Aaron Wiggins’ mic drop moment before paradeJosue Pavon ·
Oklahoma City Thunder star Alex Caruso at Champions Opening Ceremony after winning the NBA Finals.
Thunder’s Alex Caruso makes champagne shower promise after lame locker room celebrationAndrew Korpan ·
Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) celebrates after winning game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center with the Lakers logo in the background
Alex Caruso gets blunt differentiating Lakers title vs. Thunder’sJosue Pavon ·
Nique Clifford stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 24th pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
Thunder, Kings trade grades for 2025 NBA Draft dealDavid Yapkowitz ·

“Cason Wallace a good role player but what is Mark Daigneault over obsession with him. He doesn’t need to play as many minutes as he plays and he damn sure don’t need to be in clutch time when they got like 5 other players better than him,” one user wrote.

It will be interesting to see what adjustments Daigneault decides to make in Game 2.

Mark Daigneault shares thoughts on Thunder Game 1 loss

After their loss against the Thunder, Daigneault shared his thoughts about the game.

“The biggest experience we’ve had is understanding that every game is a new game,” Daigneault said. “The most important game in the series is always the next one, regardless of the outcome. We would have liked to win tonight, but tonight was a starting point, not an endpoint.”

The Thunder caused 19 turnovers against the Pacers in the first half, but they were only up by 12 points. The problem was that they gave the Pacers too much space to breathe, and in the end, they did what they've done all postseason.

It will now be up to the Thunder to make the necessary adjustments to get a win in the series.