Heading into Thursday's rematch of the 2025 NBA Finals, there was reason to be at least slightly underwhelmed with the prospects of a battle between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. After all, Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner were not walking through the door for the Pacers, and the Thunder were forced to operate without Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Kenrich Williams, Isaiah Joe, and Cason Wallace in front of a national television audience. Still, the game managed to deliver entertainment value for every kind of observer in a double-overtime 141-135 victory for the Thunder, and for the absolute sickos, this game had everything.
Broadly speaking, the tenor of the game was fantastic. For one thing, neither team was ever in full control of the proceedings, as evidenced by the largest lead by either team being seven points. While a trip to double overtime can illustrate overall competitiveness, this was not a game marked by wild swings, but rather a back-and-forth battle between well-coached teams.
Sickos can also appreciate star power, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander simply operating like one of the best players in the world and the reigning NBA MVP in a 55-point performance. During the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Gilgeous-Alexander became more well-known for his expertise at getting to the free throw line, and that came together here with 26 attempts. However, he also shot 13-of-24 from inside the arc, added eight rebounds, generated two steals, and generally kept the pressure on the undermanned Pacers throughout the 58-minute battle.
On the other side, Pascal Siakam and Bennedict Mathurin strung together star-level offensive showings. With Haliburton sidelined, Siakam is the undisputed No. 1 for the Pacers, and he was excellent with 32 points and 15 rebounds. To this point in a still-young career, Mathurin has been the most consistent performer, but the highs are quite high, including a 36-point, 11-rebound effort here before fouling out after 45 minutes of on-court action.
If you love iso-basketball and drawing contact, Thunder vs. Pacers was definitely your thing
The two teams combining for 91 free throw attempts may have taken away some of the enjoyment for some observers, but the craft and competitiveness were high enough to avoid a full-fledged slog. Both teams were creative in attempting to paper over personnel challenges, with Rick Carlisle and Mark Daigneault showcasing their range of expertise in this matchup. Indiana had to play without Haliburton and TJ McConnell for the entire game, but things got even more challenging when Andrew Nembhard left the floor after only 17 minutes. That is more of a long-term concern than anything, but the Pacers were able to play dead-even with the reigning champions despite limited personnel.
On the Thunder side, it was a breakout from Ajay Mitchell, who scored 26 points in 38 minutes off the bench. Mitchell showed plenty of signs of a bright future last season, but he was the clear sixth man in this game and lived up to the billing in a big way. In playing the long game, that could be tremendously helpful for OKC, especially if 2024 lottery pick Nikola Topic comes along at a modest pace following a lost rookie season.
All in all, the Oct. 23 matchup between the Thunder and Pacers may not be as widely discussed as Oklahoma City's first double-overtime thriller of the season, simply because of when it took place. However, both teams can feel good about the way things transpired, even if it takes a little bit of digging to unearth the full picture. Oklahoma City needing double-overtime to beat the hobbled Pacers may not seem like much, but a look at the Thunder's available roster provides much-needed context.
For Indiana, a close-fought loss near the beginning of what could be a challenging season may not feel amazing, but the Pacers scratched and clawed for every bit of 58 minutes against an uber-elite player, a championship team, and a big-time coach and nearly came out on top. It may be "just another night" in the NBA, but this was one for the sickos.