Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder Match Player Stats

Nobody saw this coming. On January 24, 2026, the Indiana Pacers walked into Paycom Center in Oklahoma City and pulled off a stunning 117–114 road victory over the best team in the Western Conference. The Pacers were not supposed to win. They were not even supposed to be close.

But basketball has a funny way of surprising everyone, and this was one of those magical nights when a struggling team played the perfect game. Every pass found the right hands. Every three-pointer fell clean. Every rotation worked exactly the way it was drawn up. Let’s break it all down — every number, every player, every dramatic moment.

The Final Score and What It Means

Indiana won 117–114 in a game that was not fully decided until the final seconds. The Pacers built a lead as large as 17 points in the first half and then had to survive a massive OKC rally in the second half.

These two teams sat at opposite ends of the record spectrum, which made Indiana’s victory all the more remarkable. OKC entered this game as the best team in the entire NBA, while Indiana was among the league’s worst records.

The 117–114 final will be talked about for a long time in Indiana. It was proof that talent lives in that locker room — even if consistency hasn’t followed all season.

How the Game Unfolded: Quarter-by-Quarter Story

A Blazing First Quarter by Indiana

Indiana burst out of the gates with a 39-point first quarter — one of the highest single-quarter outputs of the entire 2025–26 NBA season.

The Pacers were on fire from the opening tip. The ball moved quickly, the three-pointers dropped, and Indiana looked like a completely different team from the one sitting near the bottom of the East.

OKC Fights Back

OKC didn’t panic. The Thunder, as the best team in the league, knew how to respond. They clawed back in the second quarter, cut the deficit, and eventually took a brief lead.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was simply unstoppable every time he touched the ball. He was drawing fouls, hitting from mid-range, and attacking the rim at will. But Indiana kept answering.

A Team Effort Closes It Out

Indiana’s late-game composure sealed the road win. They didn’t crumble under pressure. They shared the ball, found open looks, and trusted each other until the buzzer sounded. That’s a championship trait — even on a lottery team.

Indiana Pacers Player Stats — January 24, 2026

Andrew Nembhard — The Unsung Hero

Nembhard posted 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists on 62.5% shooting with a 76.0% true shooting percentage and a game-best +16 plus/minus for Indiana.

That +16 is not just a number. It tells you everything. Every time Nembhard was on the floor, Indiana was winning the game. He controlled the tempo, found shooters in the corners, and attacked the basket when OKC’s defense rotated late.

Jarace Walker — Stepping Into the Spotlight

Jarace Walker added a superb 26-point two-way effort that gave Indiana a reliable second scorer alongside Nembhard. Walker was physical, aggressive, and ready for the moment. On a night like this, against the NBA’s best team, that kind of performance builds confidence for the rest of the season.

The Team’s Shooting Was Historic

Indiana made 16 three-pointers at 42.1% compared to OKC’s 7 made at just 26.9%. That nine three-pointer advantage — worth 27 extra points from distance — more than cancelled out the Thunder’s massive free throw edge.

Think about that. Twenty-seven extra points from the three-point line. That’s not luck. That’s a team playing with supreme rhythm and confidence.

Oklahoma City Thunder Player Stats — January 24, 2026

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — A Masterpiece in Defeat

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points on 17-of-28 shooting (60.7%), hit 12-of-12 free throws, and posted a 70.6% true shooting percentage. By any individual measure, it was one of the best offensive performances of the entire 2025–26 NBA season.

Twelve free throws. All twelve made. Not one missed. SGA scored 20 points in the paint, attacked Indiana’s defense relentlessly at the rim, and was the sole reason the Thunder were in the game at all down the stretch. Without his 47 points, this game would not have been close. Indiana might have won by 20. But even 47 points wasn’t enough. That tells you something powerful about how Indiana played as a unit.

Chet Holmgren — Brilliant But Not Enough

Holmgren posted a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds, adding 3 blocks on 57.1% shooting with a +13 plus/minus — an outstanding effort in a losing cause.

Holmgren gave OKC everything he had. His interior presence, rim protection, and elite shooting from a big man made him a constant problem for Indiana’s defense. But the Pacers found ways around it — mostly by spreading the floor and forcing OKC to choose between protecting the paint or guarding the three-point line.

Complete Team Stats Comparison

The Three-Point Gap Was the Real Story

When you look at the numbers, one thing jumps off the page immediately. Indiana made more than twice as many three-pointers as OKC. OKC shot 48.8% from the field compared to Indiana’s 46.9%, and they outscored the Pacers from the free throw line 27 makes to Indiana’s 11. But Indiana’s three-point shooting was the decisive edge.

It’s a classic modern NBA story. Free throws and interior scoring can carry you far, but if the opponent is lighting it up from deep and you’re not, the math doesn’t work in your favor. OKC simply could not find a defensive answer for Indiana’s shooters. And 34 assists from the Pacers showed that the ball never stopped moving.

Rebounding Dominance: Indiana Owned the Glass

The Pacers dominated the boards with 59 total rebounds to OKC’s 47. Their 14 offensive rebounds generated 14 second-chance points — double the Thunder’s 8 second-chance points from just 4 offensive boards.

Fourteen offensive rebounds are an extraordinary number against an elite team. Every extra possession gave Indiana another shot — and on a night when they were shooting over 42% from three, those extra chances mattered enormously.

Why Indiana’s 34 Assists Changed Everything

The Pacers recorded 34 assists. OKC had 18. Indiana’s assist total was extraordinary, reflecting how beautifully their offense shared the ball and moved through the Thunder’s defense all night long.

When a team records 34 assists, it means almost no one is going one-on-one and failing. It means every player trusts the next. It means the offense is working exactly as designed. That kind of basketball is genuinely beautiful to watch — and incredibly hard to guard.

The Context That Makes This Win Even More Special

OKC entered this game as the best team in the entire NBA at 49–15. Indiana was among the league’s worst records. The Pacers entered as one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference at 15–47 — on pace for a lottery pick. Indiana’s road win at OKC was one of the biggest upsets of the 2025–26 NBA season.

You simply cannot overstate how rare this kind of result is. The worst teams in the NBA beat the best teams maybe once or twice a season — if that. Indiana did it on the road. Against an MVP-level player in full scoring mode. And they still won.

What This Means for Both Teams Going Forward

For the Pacers

Indiana’s core — Nembhard, Walker, Siakam, Nesmith — has shown flashes of genuine quality in games like this one. On nights when they shoot well from three and share the ball at an elite level, they are capable of beating anyone. Sustaining that level of performance consistently has been their challenge. The talent is real. The potential is real. A game like this proves it.

For OKC

Despite the loss to Indiana, the Thunder remain the dominant force in the Western Conference. Their 49–15 record was the best in the NBA, and they bounced back strongly after this game.

One regular-season loss to a struggling team doesn’t change OKC’s identity. They are still the team to beat in the West, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still the most dangerous offensive player in the league on any given night.

Head-to-Head: SGA vs Nembhard on the Night

SGA won the individual scoring battle by 20 points, but Nembhard won the game-impact battle with his +16 rating, 11 assists, and the superior team result. That’s the beauty of basketball. One player can score 47 and still lose. The team always matters more than any single number.

Conclusion

The Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder match player stats from January 24, 2026, tell the story of one extraordinary night — when everything went right for a struggling team, and nothing was enough for the NBA’s very best.

Indiana’s stunning road victory was built on Nembhard’s 27-point, 11-assist masterpiece, Jarace Walker’s 26-point two-way effort, and a collective three-point barrage that Oklahoma City had no answer for.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 47-point heroics kept the Thunder alive, but Indiana’s 34 assists, 14 offensive rebounds, and relentless team execution proved impossible to overcome. For fans of beautiful, unselfish basketball — this was one of the best games of the entire season. Box score saved. Memory made.

FAQs

Q1: What was the final score of the Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder game on January 24, 2026?

The final score was Indiana Pacers 117, Oklahoma City Thunder 114, with Indiana winning on the road at Paycom Center.

Q2: How many points did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander score in the game?

SGA scored 47 points on 17-of-28 shooting, hitting all 12 of his free throw attempts in a remarkable individual performance.

Q3: Who was Indiana’s best player in the Pacers vs Thunder match?

Andrew Nembhard led Indiana with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists on 62.5% shooting, finishing as the game’s best overall performer with a +16 plus/minus rating.

Q4: What made Indiana’s three-point shooting so important in this game?

Indiana made 16 threes at 42.1% while OKC made just 7 at 26.9%, creating a 27-point scoring advantage from the three-point line that proved to be the decisive difference.

Q5: What was Chet Holmgren’s stat line in the Pacers vs Thunder matchup?

Holmgren posted a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds, adding 3 blocks on 57.1% shooting — a superb individual effort in a losing game.

Q6: How big of an upset was Indiana’s win over OKC?

It was one of the biggest upsets of the 2025–26 NBA season — a team with a 15–47 record defeating the NBA’s best team at 49–15 on the road.