Heading into Thursday night's game, the Indiana Pacers carried a five-game win streak. Their opponent, the Oklahoma City Thunder, has only lost five games all season. One of those things was going to change following the outcome of this contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Though it was close, the Pacers' six-point loss at the hands of one of the strongest contenders in the Western Conference was rather telling. Quite a few players performed significantly well for head coach Rick Carlisle and his squad.
However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not a member of the Pacers. Instead, he was arguably the sole reason for the Pacers' defeat in this one. The starting point guard for OKC put up 45 points with ease.
Of all the wonders and blunders in this game, let's take a look at the winners and losers from Thursday night.
Winners: The Pacers' starting big men and Andrew Nembhard
Normally, when praising Indiana's tallest starters, we focus on Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam. Following the loss, Andrew Nembhard deserves praise, too.
Both Turner and Siakam turned in double-doubles. The Pacers' starting center had 12 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
The 10-year veteran logged five more blocks as he is one of the league's leading shot blockers this season. Siakam collected 10 rebounds to complement his 22 points. Both players took the court in this game for more than 30 minutes each.
Nembhard, who has not found a consistent stroke with the team, was Indiana's leading scorer in this one. He netted 23 points and seven assists and was one rebound shy of having a double-double, as well.
Loser: Tyrese Haliburton
A pair of All-Star point guards squared off tonight. The Thunder's face of the franchise outplayed the Pacers' feature guard.
In 35 minutes of play, Tyrese Haliburton managed just two field goals (four points) and missed all four of his attempts from behind the arc.
He also was the only starter for Indiana to not make a trip to the free-throw line. Gilgeous-Alexander went 11-for-11 alone from the charity stripe.
Haliburton produced eight turnovers and committed just one turnover. Unfortunately, his plus/minus was the lowest of all five starters (-13).
An emphasis on being a stronger and more dominant part of the Pacers' offense is what will propel Indiana into the playoffs for a second year in a row. Duds like Thursday night's game against Oklahoma City will be the reason why the Pacers' season ends earlier than they want.
Winners: A pair of usual suspects from Indiana's second unit
T.J. McConnell and Jarace Walker were the two lone members of the Pacers' bench to score in double figures, with both scoring at least 12 points or more. That's at least three times as many points as Haliburton had.
The backup forward, Walker, shot 50% from the floor, including from behind the three-point arc. The second-year player hauled in five rebounds. He had just four combined in his previous three games.
Adding relief to Haliburton's struggles was McConnell. The Pacers' backup floor general ended the game with 13 points on a better shooting average than Walker.
McConnell also recorded three rebounds and three assists. Strong games like this from McConnell should not come to anyone's surprise. A year ago, he was one of the league's best sixth men.
Loser: Pacers' play after the first quarter
Hosting a Western Conference powerhouse like the Thunder and holding a 10-point lead after the first quarter should make a team feel great. However, the Pacers failed to keep their foot on the accelerator to capture their 16th win of the season.
Instead, the Thunder were patient and slowly chipped away at the deficit. For the next three quarters, the Pacers were outscored, giving up at least 30 points in all three remaining periods of play.
To make matters worse, Siakam and company only managed 53 second-half points after putting up 61 before the half. Collectively, even with Haliburton's dud of a game, Indiana almost weathered the storm from Gilgeous-Alexander's 45-point highlight reel on Thursday.
These Eastern Conference hopefuls were outscored by seven points in both quarters of the second half. Yet, they still only lost by six points.
With the Pacers playing their next two games in a three-day span, they can't wonder what could have been. Next up is the team that ended their season in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics.