The Oklahoma City Thunder are trying to make sense of their 111-110 loss in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but answers are scarce. Despite outscoring the Pacers in the paint and outscoring them in transition, the Thunder were unable to capitalize on their forced turnovers and struggled to score inside.
Coach Mark Daigneault pointed to a “really good team” as the common denominator for the loss, citing the Pacers’ ability to make big shots. The Thunder were particularly vulnerable in the corners, where the Pacers shot 10 of 16 from beyond the arc.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s aggressive play was a highlight of the game, but it also backfired at times. He took 30 shots and finished minus-9 for the quarter, while the Thunder struggled to contain Pascal Siakam in the paint.
The loss is reminiscent of Game 1 of the conference semifinals, where the Thunder lost to Denver by 43 points after leading by as many as 12. However, the team is trying to focus on what they can learn from the loss and move forward.
“We lost Game 1,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We’ve lost Game 1 before. On the other side of that, we came out a better team. That’s our goal.”
The Thunder will regroup and try to bounce back in Game 2, with forcing turnovers and improving their scoring inside being key areas of focus.
Source: https://www.si.com/nba/what-okc-thunder-need-fix-game-2-nba-finals