Inside The Thunder

OKC Thunder Torch Indiana Pacers by 21 Points

The Thunder shot 17-for-36 on 3-pointers and scored 71 second-half points.

Ethan Baca

Mar 29, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) gestures after scoring a 3-point basket against the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Mar 29, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) gestures after scoring a 3-point basket against the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up its 48th double-digit victory of the season by beating the Indiana Pacers 132-111 on Saturday night. Oklahoma City improved to 27-1 against Eastern Conference opponents and has won nine consecutive games.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made three of his 11 first-half shots but finished the game with 33 points on 10-for-23 shooting, including three triples, and 10-for-12 free throws. He added eight assists, seven rebounds and a steal in 31 minutes.

Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Joe combined for 41 points on 11-for-14 3-point shooting and 10 rebounds. Dort also tallied two steals and a block.

Jalen Williams registered 18 points on 14 shots, six assists and two rebounds. Cason Wallace recorded 14 points on 10 shots, three assists, two rebounds, two steals and a block.

Isaiah Hartenstein exited in the second quarter with left hip soreness and did not return.

Statistic

Thunder

Pacers

Points

132

111

2-Pointers

31-for-58

25-for-45

3-Pointers

17-for-36

14-for-42

Free Throws

19-for-23

19-for-26

Turnovers

9

11

Offensive Rebounds

8

8

The Thunder started Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein.

The Pacers started Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner.

Nembhard made a pull-up fadeaway and assisted a Siakam 3-pointer on Indiana's first two possessions — setting a clear trend, as its first 12 made field goals were jump shots. Haliburton splashed back-to-back triples minutes later before Obi Toppin converted a second-chance three to award the Pacers an 18-9 lead midway through the first quarter. Indiana grabbed four offensive rebounds in the first six and a half minutes.

The Thunder went scoreless on five possessions from 8:20 to 5:35 but erased the Pacers' double-digit lead by the end of the frame. Gilgeous-Alexander scored his first points on a driving floater six minutes in, made a driving layup and drew five free throws by the buzzer, while Isaiah Joe knocked down two straight 3-pointers to bring Oklahoma City back in a flurry. Wallace blocked a Siakam triple, as Indiana shot 9-for-26 over the first 12 minutes. The Thunder led 29-27 after a quarter.

Jalen Williams threw his second alley-oop pass to Hartenstein and picked up consecutive paint baskets, including a transition layup, to give Oklahoma City a game-high five-point lead. The Pacers responded immediately with three straight scores — TJ McConnell swished a pull-up jumper and made a contested driving layup over Alex Caruso. Indiana burned three timeouts in three minutes, calling an unsuccessful goaltending challenge on Joe's transition attempt.

After Turner drew two free throws posting up Kenrich Williams with 4:38 left in the quarter, the Thunder racked up 10 straight points and 20 of the half's last 27. Wallace drained a left-wing triple and uncontested dunk from Gilgeous-Alexander, who recorded his first three, assisted two other jumpers and made three more free throws before halftime. Dort stripped Nembhard, leading to a ferocious Wallace slam with 30 seconds remaining. Oklahoma City earned a 61-49 halftime advantage.

Dort made a driving layup and two 3-pointers in the first six minutes after the break, helping the Thunder maintain a double-digit lead, before Jalen Williams took over the rest of the quarter. The All-Star forward got downhill for three interior finishes, including an and-one layup, dished out three assists and made three free throws after Gilgeous-Alexander checked out midway through the frame. Oklahoma City converted 11 of its final 14 third-quarter field goals and led 102-80 going into the final 12 minutes.

Indiana won the fourth quarter 31-30, making five shots in the restricted area and four 3-pointers.

Oklahoma City welcomes the Chicago Bulls this Monday, March 31 at 7 p.m. CST.

Published
Ethan Baca
ETHAN BACA

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