The Indiana Pacers gave the NBA its biggest surprise of the season so far in the form of a shocking 117–114 upset of the reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder.
Andrew Nembhard’s 27-point performance led the Pacers to the victory in their first visit to the Paycom Center since Game 7 of last season’s Finals.
With the loss, the Thunder’s dreams of surpassing the most wins in a season have now come to an end, as they fell to 37-9.
No Tyrese Haliburton, No Problem
With lead facilitator Tyrese Haliburton still recovering from an Achilles tear, the Pacers were still able to hold their ground against the league’s top squad, even as they came in as heavy underdogs because of their third-worst league record.
Aside from Nembhard, it was also the career-high 26-point eruption of Jarace Walker that fueled the Pacers to victory.
“You always gotta trust yourself, trust the work you put in, and I feel like that’s what I did,” Walker said postgame.
SGA’s 47-Piece Not Enough vs. Pacers
Despite the loss, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive onslaught continued as he paced the Thunder with his second straight 40-bomb. The reigning MVP collected 47 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in the loss.
OKC, like Indiana, also came in with a shorthanded lineup, as the reigning champs were missing the services of Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams.
“The competitiveness of the team was great. Thought we played pretty well despite it not being a great shooting night,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.
Still on top of the standings, the Thunder remain in the hunt for their second consecutive title and to become the NBA’s next dynasty. The Pacers, meanwhile, remain mired at the bottom of the standings at 11-35—barely ahead of the Washington Wizards (10-33) and New Orleans Pelicans (11-36).
