Pace, fatigue and reserve unit highlight takeaways from OKC Thunder loss to Pacers

The OKC Thunder suffered their seventh loss of the season to the Pacers by the greatest margin of defeat. Let’s look at a few key takeaways.

Road wins are eluding the OKC Thunder as their record is 0-4 outside Chesapeake Arena. This becomes a concern as starting next week the team will play five of seven on the road (and nine of the next 13). To begin this schedule segment the Thunder will face one of the worst road back-to-back sets against the Clippers and Lakers.

Of note, the Nuggets-Jazz road set remains the most difficult due to the altitude combined with their standing.

Prior to those 13 games, the Thunder will host the 76ers on Friday and of the next 14 games, eight teams are above .500 (seven of those teams have the best records in the NBA).

Teams lose by double-digits — even the elite:

So, to put the OKC Thunder loss to the Indiana Pacers in perspective. All teams eventually will lose a game by double digits.

Currently, there are 11 teams who’ve registered seven or eight wins to this point in the early season. Only one hasn’t lost a game by double-digits yet (76ers), but they did lose three in a row as did the Pacers. Two of these 11 clubs (Rockets and Jazz lost two in a row).

• Boston 8-1: 76ers by 14 (first game of the season)
• Lakers 8-2: Clippers by 10 (opening night) Raptors by nine (severely shorthanded Raptors club
• Jazz 8-3: Clippers by 11 points, Lakers by nine
• Raptors 7-3: Bucks by 10 (four-point game with 1:41 remaining) Clippers by 10 (second night of back-to-back down four of their top eight players)
• 76ers 7-3: – Suns by five, (plus they lost three in a row)
• Nuggets 7-3: Pelicans by 15 points
• Clippers 7-3: Jazz by 14 points (no Kawhi Leonard in the lineup)
• Rockets 7-3: Heat by 29 points 😲
• Heat 7-3: Nuggets by 20, Lakers by 15 (on the second night of back-to-back set)
• Bucks 7-3: Celtics by 11
• Pacers 7-4: Cavaliers by 11 (second game of the season)

Until the loss to the Pacers, the Thunder had suffered one double-digit loss (Wizards by 12). The Pacers game was also the third game in four nights for OKC.

Its been well documented the numerous games the Thunder were in during the final five minutes within five points. And, notably, of the above 11 squads, most analysts predicted all would be in the postseason, though some pundits completely underestimated the Pacers and Raptors leaving them off their top 16 lists (but NOT Thunderous Intentions – click related story below).

The OKC Thunder starting schedule (first 20 games) was well documented in the preseason as arguably the most difficult in the Association. That OKC has been in so many games is a testament of its own — and they aren’t supposed to be in the mix.

The other factor is losing is far more palatable when the team is fighting to the final buzzer. In fact, it’s almost preferred since many in the fanbase would rather be competitive and lose than claim the eighth seed and potentially lose their draft pick that is 1 through 20 protected.

Fatigue is a factor:

Playing their third game in four nights clearly took a toll on the Thunder. Chris Paul and Danilo Gallinari struggled from the field and were unable to be as aggressive on offense. With apologies to the Pacers defense, some of this has to be assigned to fatigue and copious games played in short order.

More from Thunderous Intentions

• Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
• Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

One stat offers the perfect fodder to add fuel to this opinion based fire — pace. The OKC Thunder pace ranks 17th (102.14). Conversely, the Pacers rank 27th (99.87).

Yet, a quick scan of the box score highlights how Indiana inexplicably took 13 more field goal attempts (46-94) than OKC (29-81).

Moreover, the fast break stats offer additional support to this game not being a typical and fatigue factoring in several areas.

As an aside last season the Thunder scored the fifth most fast break points this season they are dead last in that category. Meanwhile, the Rockets who ranked 19th last season rank 5th this season. Let’s call that the Westbrook effect.

As for how this showed up in the Pacers game, Indiana rank 15th for fast break points scored and third in FB points allowed. As noted OKC don’t score on the break but remain stellar at stopping opponents scoring in the FB. The Thunder were true to the offensive FB but allowed the Pacers to score five points more than they typically allow giving them a +6 edge in that category.

Reserve Revolution:

How many games can you recall saying the Thunder reserves dominated their opponent? Positives were few and far between which should be expected in a 26 point loss, but this was one of the few the Thunder easily took.

The Pacers bench scored 28 points while the Thunder bench dropped 41 on Indiana.

And, this was accomplished without Hamidou Diallo playing off the bench. Certainly, a hat tip gets extended to my FTGG (future Thunder glue-guy) Deonte Burton for dropping 13 points.

The bottom line is this was an off night for a tired team and it served to remind the fan base of just how fun the games have been through the prior 10 games and precisely how competitive this iteration of the Thunder has been.

OKC finally gets some rest as they don’t play until Friday and then not till Monday. It’s a well earned rest period for this club and particularly the older guys who’ve fought tooth and nail during this horrific schedule.