OKC vs Pacers Game 1 recap with Steve, Dean, and John

Game 1 disappointment for Thunder fans: Get insights from News 9 and News On 6 sports teams about early missed leads. SGA and Holmgren discuss focusing on improvements for Game 2.

Friday, June 6th 2025, 1:04 am

By: Carrie Winchel


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As Thunder fans recover from the disappointment after a Game 1 loss against the Pacers at home, News 9's Steve McGehee and Dean Blevins, and News On 6's John Holcomb met on the court to break down what went wrong.

For much of the game, it looked like the Thunder would come out ahead and soar into Game 2 with the confidence of a win to carry them through. But the consensus is clear: Indiana's team was just too good this time.

Steve, who travels with the Thunder to every game, said came down to missed shots at the end, J-Dub and even 2025 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed some shots at the end. Indiana also improved during the game, cleaning up their tendency to turn over the ball by the second half of the game.

John said the Thunder fell short even early on because their lead could have been bigger.

SGA echoed the resolve of many of his teammates in the post-game news conference, saying, the Thunder just need to focus on getting better.

Another area the team wants to focus on improving came from Chet Holmgren, who said he needs to slow down to make sure he doesn't miss any opportunities.

Next up for the Thunder, and for hopeful fans, is Game 2 back at home in OKC Sunday evening.

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