The Oklahoma City Thunder know they left a winnable Game 1 on the table. Now, two of their most important young players — Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams — face growing scrutiny as they look to help even the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.
After scoring 38 points in Game 1, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said he has already turned the page and is focused on helping the Thunder regroup for Sunday.
“Yeah, I let the game go,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “As soon as I watch film, take what I need to take from it and we do it as a group. After that, I let it go because the lessons are learned. There’s nothing else you can do.”
Holmgren scored just six points on 2-of-9 shooting and grabbed six rebounds in his Finals debut. Williams finished with 17 points, four rebounds and six assists but shot just 6-of-19 from the floor and struggled to consistently take pressure off Gilgeous-Alexander.
As for his approach offensively, Gilgeous-Alexander said he will continue to let the game dictate when to hunt his own shot versus facilitating.
“I always try to be aggressive and I never, like, predetermine it,” he said. “I always just let the game tell me what to do. I guess last game, I felt more often than not, I had a shot or a play that I could attack on more than in the past, and that’s just the way it went.”
He added that Oklahoma City’s mindset after a loss is consistent — and that no added motivation is needed in the locker room.
“Honestly, the team has the same demeanor,” he said. “You don’t have to rile guys up or lock guys in. We all have the same goal in mind and we all know what it takes to win games. That’s what’s on the focus of our mind — being better and trying to win the next one.”
Both Holmgren and Williams acknowledged the need for improvement heading into Game 2.
Chet Holmgren: “One Single Play Could Have Decided the Whole Game”
Holmgren was candid about his Game 1 performance after reviewing film. The 7-foot-1 center struggled to convert around the basket and acknowledged that several missed opportunities loomed large in such a tightly contested game.
“I feel like I could have slowed down, kind of finished some of those plays at the rim,” Holmgren said. “Obviously it hurts in a one-point loss. One single difference on one single play could have decided the whole game.”
Holmgren also pointed to Oklahoma City’s defensive versatility — they opted not to use their double-big lineup in Game 1 — as something he and the team must adjust to on the fly.
“At the end of the day, us as players, our responsibility is to be ready to execute no matter what the coaches ask us to do out there,” Holmgren said. “In Game 1, that was to play more single big. Whether the coaches ask us to do that or ask the team to go small or ask the team to go double big, we have to be ready to do that and execute it.”
Asked if he felt any extra pressure entering a must-win Game 2, Holmgren was direct: “I wouldn’t say it’s any different than Game 1. Game 1 was a must-win and we didn’t win. Now we flip to Game 2 and it’s a must-win again.”
Jalen Williams: “Pressure Is a Privilege”
Williams echoed the urgency of the moment and said he embraces the responsibility — even as a third-year player in an uncommon position.
“I try and think of myself as somebody that’s very uncommon,” Williams said. “I don’t ever think that I’m in my third year because then that allows me to make excuses. I should just go out there and play. Pressure is a privilege.”
Williams also emphasized that he must take on more responsibility offensively to complement Gilgeous-Alexander — especially after Indiana’s defensive game plan loaded up heavily on OKC’s MVP candidate.
“You never want to overlook the fact that a team made shots, and you try and look back at the film and see why they did that, like what kind of defensive breakdowns we had to allow them to get the looks that they got,” Williams said.
“I think that looking back at our offensive process, I thought we were pretty good throughout the whole entire game,” Williams added. “Trying to find the balance of improving on offense and the little small things that beat you late game — these games really come down to one or two possessions.”
Asked about guarding Pascal Siakam, who posted 19 points and 10 rebounds in Game 1, Williams is embracing the challenge in this series.
“You can’t really ask for more than to guard an elite player in the Finals,” Williams said. “Obviously he’s definitely battle-tested. I try relishing that opportunity and just compete. There’s going to be mishaps, there’s going to be mistakes. He’s going to score. He’s a good player.”
Mark Daigneault Remains Confident
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged that Game 1 was not the best performance for Holmgren or Williams — but stressed their importance to the team’s Finals run.
“These are guys that are in their third year. Usually delivering in the Finals is not on the curriculum for third-year players,” Daigneault said. “And now that they are here, they have to continue to do what they have done all the way through the playoffs, which is go out there, fully compete, learn the lessons, and apply it forward.”
Daigneault said both players have earned the coaching staff’s trust through their steady growth and ability to handle playoff pressure this season. But with the Finals stage now magnifying every possession, Game 2 will test whether Holmgren and Williams can take another step forward — both in execution and in poise — under the brightest lights of their careers to date.
“They haven’t always played their best game, but they always get themselves ready to play the next one,” he said. “The last guy I’m worried about that is Chet.”
The Thunder are banking on Holmgren and Williams doing exactly that — and know they will need more from both to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole on their home floor.
