The box score might say Oklahoma City Thunder led for 47:59:07. But in the NBA Finals, the only lead that matters is the one you hold when the buzzer sounds. So, as the Pacers ultimately snatched the 111-110 win during Game 1—thanks to Tyrese Haliburton’s last-minute leap—no wonder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander aka SGA expectedly doubled down with a strong message of his own.

Mostly because despite SGA scoring a game-high 38 points, controlling the tempo, and keeping the pace chaotic in his favor, it was beyond what anyone had expected. In simple words: Thunder had managed to clinch an early 7-0 lead, taking it further to 57-45 by half-time. At one point during the fourth quarter, the team was even up by 15 points. So, what went wrong?

Well, the Pacers decided they’d fight back. With just a minute remaining, they managed to take the score to 110-109. Haliburton, on the other hand, despite finishing with an insignificant 14 point-six assists-10 rebounds stat line, pulled off a 21-foot jumper giving his team their first lead of the day with 0.3 seconds remaining, and a victory. Notably, the 2X NBA All-Star’s shot was the latest game-winner in an NBA Finals game since Michael Jordan’s buzzer-beater vs the Utah Jazz in 1997. Impressive for the world, yes. But for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it was his worst nightmare come true. But don’t worry, he won’t give up just yet.

As per an X update by NBA TV on June 5, SGA reacted to the stunning loss. “We just got to focus on being better,” the Thunder guard and NBA MVP said, before directing an important piece of advice toward his team. “The series isn’t first to one, it’s first to four. So we have four more games to get, they have three, and that’s just where we are. We’ve got to understand that, and we’ve got to get to four before they get to three to win the NBA championship, and it’s that simple. It’s not rocket science. We lost Game 1. We have to be better.”

Further talking about the last-second surprise, SGA mentioned, “It happened so fast. I feel like we got matched. He got down going right and pulled up from middy and knocked down the shot. I don’t know, it didn’t feel like anything crazy. He just made a play with the time winding down.” 

Haliburton’s reaction? “Man, basketball’s fun.” Well, it’s hard to disagree.

But Haliburton will still need to remember that the game’s still not over.

SGA and OKC face a pride test in Game 2

“It is a 48-minute game. [The Pacers] teach you that lesson more than anybody else in the league the hard way,” SGA said. And that’s lived trauma. Back in 2021, Indiana handed OKC a 57-point humiliation, one of the largest road win margins in NBA history. Fast-forward to this postseason, and the Pacers have already mounted five 15 (or more) point comebacks, the most since 1998. The most shocking is this one fact—Finals teams trailing by 9+ points in the final 3 minutes were 0-182 since 1971. The Pacers just made it 1-182.

But the Thunder still control their destiny. Though Game 1 was a missed opportunity that could haunt SGA’s squad, the momentum has shifted and Game 2 now has layers of strategy, emotion, and psychology. Sunday won’t be just a game of basketball anymore. It will be pride and response. And if OKC wants to prove they’re not just a feel-good young team but legitimate title threats, they’ll need more than SGA’s brilliance. 

The player knows what’s at stake. This isn’t about talent. It’s about closing like champions. Game 2? It’s personal now.