Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder came to play on Thursday night, and that is exactly what he did.
His team wasn’t able to pull off a win against the Indiana Pacers, but Gilgeous-Alexander played some amazing basketball.
He scored 38 points in his Finals debut.
According to the NBA, those are the third-most in a Finals debut ever, behind only Allen Iverson with 48 points in 2001 and George Mikan with 42 points in 1949.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made HISTORY in Game 1 👏
His 38 PTS are the 3rd-most in a Finals debut EVER, behind only:
Allen Iverson (48 – 2001)
George Mikan (42 – 1949) pic.twitter.com/Bz8Me1Cgbj— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2025
But even with all of those points, the Thunder weren’t able to walk away with a win.
The Pacers did it again, and they handed Tyrese Haliburton the ball when it was most important.
He pulled off another miraculous shot, and the Pacers won 111-110.
Still, Gilgeous-Alexander was playing well all night long, reminding the world why he is now the reigning MVP.
But it is troubling that he played so well and his team still lost.
It’s even more troubling because the Pacers weren’t playing particularly well for most of the night.
If they are able to fix their faults in Game 2, the Thunder could be in serious trouble.
Gilgeous-Alexander has already done so much this season, from leading the league in points to winning MVP to Western Conference Finals MVP.
He isn’t done yet, and he wants to keep fighting hard and doing more.
His Game 1 performance was proof of that, and he wants to take the same sort of energy into Game 2 and beyond.
That might not be enough for the Thunder, but Gilgeous-Alexander is going to try to keep putting on a show.
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