NBA Game Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0) vs. Indiana Pacers (0-0)

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Venue & Game Info

Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, IN 46204

Tipoff: 7:30 PM ET

Broadcast: ESPN, local radio (93.5/107.5 FM Indianapolis), streaming via Fubo/SiriusXM

Team Recent Form

Oklahoma City Thunder: Opened with a thrilling 125-124 double OT win vs. Houston. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (35 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) led the way, Finals MVP form intact.

Indiana Pacers: Season opener. Coming off a Finals run but without their star guard Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles). Preseason showed promise from Pascal Siakam and Bennedict Mathurin.

Injury Report

Thunder:

Jalen Williams (wrist) – OUT

Alex Caruso (concussion) – OUT

Kenrich Williams (knee) – OUT

Isaiah Joe (knee) – OUT

Thomas Sorber (ACL) – OUT

Luguentz Dort (ankle) – Questionable

Cason Wallace (knee) – Questionable

Pacers:

Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) – OUT (season)

T.J. McConnell (hamstring) – OUT

Quenton Jackson (hamstring) – OUT

Kam Jones (back) – OUT

Key Matchups

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Andrew Nembhard: SGA is the reigning MVP; Nembhard must steady Indiana’s offense without Haliburton.

Chet Holmgren vs. Pascal Siakam: Holmgren’s rim protection against Siakam’s versatile scoring is pivotal.

Bench Depth: OKC’s injuries thin their second unit, while Indiana’s lack of McConnell hurts their guard rotation.

Series History

2025 NBA Finals: Thunder defeated Pacers in 7 games.

Last Meeting (Preseason, Oct. 11, 2025): Pacers won 116-101, though OKC rested starters.

All-time: Thunder lead the modern series, but Pacers have been competitive at home.

Betting Trends

Thunder: 54-28 ATS last season; 47 overs in 82 games. Covered 36 of 55 games when favored by 7.5+.

Pacers: Strong home ATS record last season (29-12). Without Haliburton, scoring efficiency drops.

Totals: Thunder averaged 120.5 PPG (4th in NBA), Pacers 117.4 PPG (7th). Over/Under set at ~229.

Projection: Thunder 116 – Pacers 106.

Game Odds

Oklahoma City Thunder                – 8.5

Indiana Pacers                                  232.5

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, October 22, 2025