Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s career-high 55-point explosion leads Thunder past Pacers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a career performance on Thursday night, dropping 55 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a dramatic 141-135 double-overtime win against the Indiana Pacers.
The victory made NBA history — Oklahoma City became the first team ever to start a season with back-to-back double-overtime wins, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The matchup also carried extra intensity, as it was a rematch of the 2025 NBA Finals, where the Thunder defeated the Pacers in Game 7 to capture their first championship since relocating to Oklahoma City.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning league MVP, set a new career high and recorded the first 50-point game of the NBA season. He scored 23 of his points from the free-throw line, missing just three of his attempts. It marked his fifth 50-point game, tying Russell Westbrook for the most in Thunder franchise history.
The Thunder improved to 2-0 after a similarly tight double-overtime win over the Houston Rockets earlier in the week. Thursday’s contest was a grueling battle marked by 70 personal fouls and 51 free-throw attempts. Oklahoma City led by seven at halftime, but the Pacers rallied in the second half behind a strong showing from Bennedict Mathurin. Pascal Siakam hit a clutch jumper to tie the game with 6.5 seconds left in regulation, forcing overtime after Gilgeous-Alexander’s final shot was blocked by a double-team.
In the first overtime, both teams traded turnovers and baskets without gaining much separation. It wasn’t until the second overtime that Oklahoma City began to pull away, sealed by another round of Gilgeous-Alexander’s flawless free throws.
The ending wasn’t without controversy. With under 30 seconds left and Indiana down by four, Obi Toppin appeared to steal an inbound pass from Chet Holmgren, but officials waved off the play because Thunder coach Mark Daigneault had called timeout seconds earlier — drawing frustration from the Pacers and their fans.
Ultimately, the night belonged to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose 55-point masterpiece powered the Thunder to their second straight heart-stopping win and a perfect start to the season.
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