After an intense third quarter, the fourth quarter began slowly, with the OKC Thunder gradually finding their rhythm again. However, the Indiana Pacers managed to recover in the final seconds of the game. With Tyrese Haliburton’s jaw-dropping 21-foot jumper with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock, the Pacers secured a Game 1 victory. While the OKC coach praised the opponent team’s strategy, Shaquille O’Neal had a strong message after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s comments.
The Pacers were too good. But this is also a huge opportunity for the Thunder to win the championship. After the game, SGA emphasized the need for the team to be better than the Pacers in order to win. “We got to understand that, and we got to get to four before they get to three if we want to win the NBA championship, and it’s that simple. It’s not rocket science. We lost game one. We have to be better,” he said.
O’Neal’s message wasn’t much different. Stressing that the Finals demand intensity and urgency, he warned the Thunder not to take this moment for granted, urging them to be ruthless, focused, and mentally tough. O’Neal said, “I understand it’s your first time here, but if it ends up like the promo started our show today, and you don’t win, it may be another chance you don’t get back. I was fortunate enough to go back six times.”
He further added, “This is not another game, this is the NBA Finals. This is the championship run. Gotta be more efficient. You gotta have that killer, and when you get a team down, you gotta put your foot on their throat.“
“This is not another game, this is the NBA Finals… when you get a team down, you gotta put your foot on their throat.” @SHAQ‘s perspective of OKC’s situation after Game 1 of these #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/kM0AzFpXeH
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 6, 2025
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