Overview
- The Thunder outlasted the Pacers 141-135 in Indianapolis, where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot 15-of-31 and 23-of-26 at the line with eight rebounds and eight assists, while Ajay Mitchell scored 26 and Aaron Wiggins 23.
- Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin had 36 points and 11 rebounds and Pascal Siakam added 32 and 15, as guard Andrew Nembhard exited early with a sore left shoulder in a game that featured 70 fouls and a technical on coach Rick Carlisle.
- Oklahoma City became the first team to begin a season with double-overtime games in each of its first two contests, and Gilgeous-Alexander has 90 points in 92 minutes, the fifth-highest two-game scoring start in NBA history.
- Two nights earlier, the Thunder edged the Rockets 125-124 in double overtime on Gilgeous-Alexander’s late free throws; the NBA’s Last Two Minute report later confirmed officials missed Kevin Durant’s excessive-timeout signal and a separate foul by Gilgeous-Alexander in regulation.
- Key absences shaped the rematch as the Pacers played without Tyrese Haliburton for the season and T.J. McConnell, while the Thunder were still missing Jalen Williams and sat Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace; next up, OKC visits Atlanta and Indiana travels to Memphis on Saturday.