The OKC Thunder choked during Thursday's NBA Finals series opener. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Despite a 12-point halftime lead, the fact that they attempted 16 more shots, and forced a ridiculous 24 turnovers compared to just six of their own, Oklahoma City somehow managed to lose Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers despite having the makings for it to be a blowout victory.
Without question, such a loss is bound to stir up controversy and spark conversations about who or what is to blame. Such a response is more than warranted, especially considering how the night ultimately ended.
Frankly, following such a crushing loss, perhaps the only real sure-fire pick-me-up is, ironically, the painful memory of the 2012 NBA Finals opener -- You know, the one where the Thunder were the ones who claimed a Game 1 victory in the championship round
Thunder know all too well that the NBA Finals is more than just Game 1
13 years ago, Oklahoma City found themselves on this exact same stage, playing host in the fourth and final round of the postseason with a chance to take home the franchise's first Larry O'Brien Trophy since 1979.
Unlike their current-day go-around, the Thunder managed to come away from their 2012 series tip-off with a commanding 105-94 win over the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh-led Miami Heat.
Unsurprisingly, following the contest, excitement and hype surrounding the team were quite high, with many begging the question of whether then-cornerstone Kevin Durant could even be stopped.
Fast forward to 2025, however, and you'll find that not only was this latter question of KD's invincibility comically premature, but that their win on that fateful Tuesday evening would wind up being the only one that OKC saw for the rest of the series, as they were ultimately bested in five games.
Now, while the resurfacing of such memories may be rather excruciating for some to endure, in an odd way, this reminder could prove to be quite comforting over the following 72 hours leading into Game 2, as it's vital to keeping Thunder fans off the ledge after just one outing.
As is the case with all rounds in the NBA Playoffs, the Finals is a best-of-seven slugfest, not an NCAA Tournament-style one-and-done.
With this all being said, there's no doubt that Oklahoma City has plenty of work to do between now and Sunday's follow-up.
Be it finding ways to get Chet Holmgren more involved on offense (him finishing with just 6 points in simply unacceptable) or making perimeter scoring harder to come by for Indiana (finished with a 46.2 percent conversion rate and seven more made triples than the Thunder), a lot clearly needs to be improved upon in order for this team to succeed.
However, it's important to remember that, even though being down 0-1 is far from ideal, the NBA Finals is far more than just what happens in Game 1.
Thunder fans know this fact all too well.