Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder Match Player Stats: Thrilling Upset Shocks the NBA

The Pacers stunned OKC 117–114 on January 23, 2026. Nembhard posted 27 pts + 11 assists (+16 plus/minus), Walker scored a career-high 26, and SGA’s heroic 47-point night wasn’t enough for the Thunder. Indiana’s 16 threes at 42.1% and 14 offensive rebounds were the decisive edges. A Finals rematch that delivered everything fans could want.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only. All player statistics, quotes, and game details are based on the reported outcome of the 23rd January, 2026 NBA regular season game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers.

Introduction

When two teams from last season’s NBA Finals meet again during the regular season, the basketball world pays attention. The Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder Match Player Stats from January 23, 2026 told a story nobody quite expected — a short-handed, injury-ravaged Pacers squad walking into Paycom Center and stunning the best team in the NBA. Indiana, sitting at 11–35 on the season, had no business beating a Thunder team that had gone 37–9 and won its first championship just months prior. And yet, basketball rarely cares about records on paper.

The Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder matchup carried enormous emotional weight beyond the standings. Both rosters were battered by injuries — the Thunder missing Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Nikola Topic, Ajay Mitchell, and Thomas Sorber, while Indiana played without Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles, inactive all season), Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Quenton Jackson. That backstory made every bucket feel charged with extra meaning, and what unfolded over 48 minutes was one of the most riveting Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder clashes of the modern era.

🏟️ Teams, Key Players, and Game Overview

Teams and Key Players

The table below captures every key contributor from both sides, sourced directly from the official NBA box score.

Indiana’s depth stepped up collectively while OKC leaned almost entirely on SGA (41.2% of team points) and Holmgren. Dort’s 0-for-9 night was the single biggest individual factor in OKC’s loss.

Game Details

This was the second and final regular-season meeting between the Pacers and Thunder in 2025–26.

Quarter-by-Quarter Scoring

Indiana’s 39-point first quarter was one of the highest single-quarter outputs of the entire 2025–26 NBA season. They spent the next three quarters defending that early cushion.

Additional Breakdown Details

The closing sequence deserves its own spotlight: OKC trailed 113-103 with 2:35 left and mounted a furious final run. SGA cut it to 115-114 with 7.8 seconds left. Walker responded with two ice-cold free throws. Joe’s open corner three rimmed out at the buzzer.

📊 Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown

Quarter 1 — Pacers Go Nuclear (IND 39 – OKC 28)

Indiana came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. The Pacers attacked quickly and built what looked like an insurmountable early lead. Nembhard scored 8 first-quarter points, while Walker hit back-to-back threes and added a steal-and-score off SGA to extend the margin before most fans had settled into their seats.

Key Moments:

• Holmgren opened scoring with a turnaround fadeaway (0-2 OKC) — OKC’s only lead all night
• Nembhard’s early three made it 5-2 and IND never trailed again
• Walker stole from SGA at 10:23, kick-starting Indiana’s dominant run
• Furphy added a putback dunk and a finger-roll layup in the quarter
• Sheppard hit two first-quarter threes to push IND’s lead to 27-17
• Walker hit a three at 0:58 (35-24), then a finger-roll layup for 37-26
• McConnell’s running pullup at the buzzer sealed a 39-28 quarter

Momentum Shift: Indiana ran off a 17-4 mid-quarter stretch, leaving OKC completely disorganized. SGA scored 10 of OKC’s 28 points, preventing a more damaging score.

Coaching Note: Pacers pushed pace aggressively before OKC could establish defensive sets. Heavy ball movement and early three-point attempts caught the Thunder off-guard on their home floor.

Quarter 2 — Thunder Claw Back (IND 19 – OKC 25)

The second quarter belonged to Oklahoma City. The Thunder attacked the paint relentlessly, getting to the free throw line and running through SGA, who scored 18 of his points in the first half. Cason Wallace was the catalyst for OKC’s comeback — knocking down both his three-point attempts in the quarter.

Key Moments:

• Nembhard’s step-back three at 10:47 pushed Indiana’s lead to its peak: 47-30
• OKC then ran off a 23-11 surge — Wallace’s back-to-back threes were the engine
• Kenrich Williams and Ousmane Dieng provided critical bench energy off the OKC bench
• Indiana led 58-53 at halftime — a 5-point lead after what had been a 17-point advantage

Momentum Shift: OKC’s run from 47-30 to 58-53 was powered by physicality, free throw opportunities, and Wallace’s shooting. Indiana’s three-point efficiency cooled markedly in Q2.

Strategy: Thunder switched to driving the lane, forcing contact, and drawing fouls rather than chasing perimeter shots that weren’t falling.

Quarter 3 — Indiana Steadies the Ship (IND 27 – OKC 22)

After a tight halftime, the Pacers didn’t panic. Siakam and Walker were both active, and Indiana’s ball movement — 34 total assists by game’s end — kept OKC’s defense scrambling. By the quarter’s midpoint, SGA had 30 points, but Indiana was rotating better and limiting easy looks for everyone else on the Thunder roster.

Key Moments:

• Pacers held their lead throughout the entire quarter, never letting OKC tie it
• By Fox Sports tracking, IND led 78-71 at the 5:04 mark of Q3 with SGA at 30 points
• Walker scored inside and out to keep Indiana’s offense multi-dimensional
• Holmgren remained productive in the paint but OKC’s perimeter players stayed cold

Momentum: Indiana controlled the quarter 27-22. OKC’s physicality in the paint slowed Indiana’s scoring pace somewhat but couldn’t narrow the gap meaningfully.

Quarter 4 — Heart-Stopping Finish (IND 32 – OKC 39)

The final quarter was everything you could ask for from a Finals rematch. OKC put up 39 fourth-quarter points — an extraordinary number — but the Pacers had just enough of an answer each time. SGA scored 9 points in the final 2 minutes alone and willed OKC to within a single possession in the dying seconds.

Key Moments:

• IND led 100-91 at the 6:18 mark of Q4 — Nembhard had 10 assists at this point
• IND led 113-103 with 2:35 remaining — OKC mounted a desperate 11-2 run
• SGA hit two free throws with 7.8 seconds left to cut it to 115-114
• Walker calmly sank two free throws to push it back to 117-114
• Isaiah Joe had a wide-open corner three at the buzzer — it rimmed out

Critical Coaching: Carlisle called the right plays in crunch time, isolating Walker at the free throw line and trusting Nembhard to manage late-game pressure. Neither blinked.

🌟 Standout Performances: Who Owned the Night

Star Players and Their Stats

This is the heart of the Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder match player stats — numbers that are genuinely remarkable on both sides.

Nembhard’s +16 was the best plus/minus on the entire floor. Dort’s -17 was the worst. That 33-point swing between two starting players tells the story of this game better than any single stat.

Shooting Percentages — Full Team Comparison

Indiana won the three-point battle by a massive margin — 16 made versus OKC’s 7. That’s an approximate 27-point swing compared to equal shooting efficiency. OKC’s 90% free throw rate was elite but couldn’t bridge the gap. OKC’s 82 field goal attempts versus Indiana’s 96 reflects Indiana’s faster pace and 14 offensive rebounds translating into extra possessions.

Assists, Steals, Blocks, and Rebounds — Complete Head to Head

Indiana’s 34-to-18 assist advantage is the most illuminating single statistic of this game. OKC dominated the blocks column (8 to 1, led by Holmgren’s 3 and Dieng’s 2) but couldn’t compensate for Indiana’s ball movement, three-point efficiency, and relentless second-chance volume. Walker and McConnell were Indiana’s steal leaders with 2 each.

Clutch Moments That Defined the Game

• Walker steals from SGA at 10:23 of Q1 — flipped the energy immediately and ignited Indiana’s run
• Sheppard’s two Q1 threes — pushed Indiana to 27-17 before OKC could adjust
• Nembhard’s step-back three at 10:47 of Q2 — Indiana’s peak lead, 47-30
• Wallace’s back-to-back threes in Q2 — sparked OKC’s 23-11 comeback run
• Nembhard at 10 assists (6:18 of Q4) — still orchestrating with Indiana leading 100-91
• SGA’s 9 fourth-quarter points in the final 2 minutes — pure superstar will, keeping OKC alive
• Walker’s two free throws with 7.8 seconds left — 117-114; ice-cold under maximum pressure
• Isaiah Joe’s open corner three at the buzzer — rimmed out; Indiana survives

📈 Key Statistics

Final Score Summary

Complete Team Statistics

The numbers that decided this game: Indiana’s +9 three-pointer advantage (16 vs 7, worth ~27 extra points), +10 offensive rebounding advantage (14 vs 4), and +16 assist advantage (34 vs 18). OKC’s superior FT performance (90% vs 55%) and blocks (8 vs 1) were not enough to overcome those three gaps combined.

Individual Leaders — At a Glance

The +/- extremes say everything: Nembhard at +16, Dort at -17 — a 33-point swing between two starting players that captures the gap between Indiana’s collective execution and OKC’s individual struggles.

🗣️ Quotes and Reactions

The post-game atmosphere was charged, with players from both sides reckoning with a game that could have gone either way in the final eight seconds.

Andrew Nembhard (Indiana Pacers — 27 pts, 11 ast, +16):

“We knew we could come in here and compete. We’ve had this group all year. The record doesn’t reflect who we are as a team.”

• Spoke to Indiana’s resilience despite losing their franchise player to injury all season
• Credited teammates for always having an answer every time OKC charged back
• Said the Finals rematch context brought out extra motivation across the entire roster

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder — 47 pts, 60.7% FG, 12-12 FT):

“I gave everything I had. We just couldn’t get stops when we needed them. Losing hurts, no matter the night you have.”

• Acknowledged the individual performance felt hollow without the win
• Pointed to OKC’s perimeter shooting (26.9% from three) as the area that needs to sharpen
• Remained composed, noting the Thunder’s championship goals are still firmly intact at 37-9

Jarace Walker (Indiana Pacers — career-high 26 pts, 7-11 FT, 2 STL):

“I just stayed ready. Coach believed in me, my teammates believed in me. When my name was called, I tried to deliver.”

• Reflected on the significance of his career-high 26-point performance
• Specifically called out his clutch free throws (4 in the final 10 seconds) as a personal milestone
• Said playing in a Finals rematch atmosphere brought out the best in him

Rick Carlisle (Pacers Head Coach):

“Our guys competed at an elite level tonight. We played with the right pace and the right focus from tip-off.”

• Highlighted the first-quarter execution as the game plan working perfectly
• Praised Nembhard’s two-way floor leadership throughout all 36:22 of his night
• Noted this win should give the group genuine confidence heading into the second half of the season

🧠 Match Analysis: What the Numbers Really Tell Us

What Went Right for Indiana

• Three-point volume and accuracy: 16-of-38 from three (42.1%) is elite execution. Nembhard went 4-7 (57.1%), Nesmith 3-5 (60%), Sheppard 2-3 (66.7%), Walker 3-6 (50%), Siakam 2-6 (33.3%), Potter 2-7 (28.6%) — six players contributing from the arc
• Dominant ball movement: 34 assists on 45 made field goals — a 0.76 assist-per-basket rate reflecting genuine team basketball, not isolation-heavy offense
• Offensive rebounding dominance: Indiana’s 14 offensive rebounds versus OKC’s 4 was the unsung tactical win of the night. Furphy and Potter grabbed 4 each — enormous contributors given Indiana’s depleted roster
• Nembhard’s masterclass: 11 assists, 3 turnovers, 36 minutes, +16 — his floor management was flawless when Indiana needed it most
• Nesmith’s underrated two-way game: 17 points on 50% FG, 3-of-5 from three (60%), 5 assists, 5 rebounds — the kind of performance that doesn’t make headlines but wins road games
• Bench depth: Potter (10 pts, 10 reb, 4 OREB), McConnell (6 pts, 3 ast, 2 stl), Sheppard (6 pts, 2-3 from 3, 66.7%) all contributed meaningfully from the bench — vital given Indiana’s injury-ravaged roster

What Went Wrong for Oklahoma City

• Luguentz Dort’s historic collapse: 0-of-9 from the field (0-of-5 from three), 2 points in 35 minutes, -17 plus/minus. Dort is OKC’s starting defensive wing — his offensive implosion removed a crucial spacing element and directly cost OKC possessions
• Three-point drought team-wide: 7-of-26 (26.9%) from three left approximately 27 extra points on the table versus league-average shooting. Outside of Wallace (3-4, 75%) and Holmgren (2-4, 50%), every OKC perimeter player was cold
• Jaylin Williams’ 4 turnovers in 21 minutes: An unsustainable rate for a rotation player; those possessions directly fed Indiana’s transition game at critical moments
• Over-reliance on SGA: 47 of OKC’s 114 points (41.2%) came from one player. Against Indiana’s collective attack, that structural fragility was fully exposed
• Branden Carlson’s -12 in 7:11: The backup center was a destructive -12 in limited court time — OKC’s bench depth (outside Williams and Dieng) offered very little

What Went Right for OKC

• Holmgren’s 25-13-3 double-double was exceptional (+13 plus/minus) — arguably the only OKC player who matched Indiana’s collective intensity for a full game
• Wallace’s 75% three-point shooting (3-of-4) sparked the crucial Q2 comeback run from 47-30 to 58-53 at halftime
• Kenrich Williams’ quiet excellence: 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists on 62.5% shooting in 28 minutes — a strong bench performance in a losing effort
• OKC’s 90.0% free throw shooting (27-30) was extraordinary; the fact it still wasn’t enough illustrates how thoroughly Indiana won the other statistical categories

Offensive and Defensive Analysis

Recent Form, Context, and Rivalry

The Thunder fell to 37-9 with the loss — still the NBA’s best record, but a stumble after their blistering 24-1 start. Indiana entered at 11-35, navigating a difficult season entirely without Haliburton.

The Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder story this season carries the weight of last year’s Finals, when Haliburton tore his Achilles early in Game 7 and OKC went on to win its first championship. Historically across 55 all-time meetings between these franchises, OKC leads 28-27 — one of the tightest head-to-head records in the NBA. The Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder discussions around this game have dominated NBA circles because the upset happened against a historically good Thunder team.

The Controversial Final Moment

Isaiah Joe’s open corner three at the buzzer — a shot he went 0-for-5 on from three for the entire game — will haunt OKC fans. Joe made all 3 of his free throw attempts, showing his nerves were in order. Whether the shot was well-executed or just rimmed out is a matter of basketball luck. One degree of arc and this game goes to overtime.

Read Also: Milwaukee Bucks Vs Pacers Match Player Stats

🏁 Conclusion

The Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder match player stats from January 23, 2026 produced one of the more remarkable games of the 2025–26 NBA season. A rebuilding Pacers team, gutted by injuries and sitting at 11-35, walked into the home arena of the reigning champions and won. Nembhard’s 27-point, 11-assist, +16 performance and Walker’s career-high 26 proved that Indiana’s roster has genuine talent beyond Tyrese Haliburton.

For OKC, SGA’s 47-point effort — 60.7% FG, 12-of-12 FT — was one of the season’s elite individual performances, and the loss was a team failure, not his. The Thunder remain at 37-9 and fully on track for another deep playoff run. But this Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder clash delivered a useful reminder: no lead is safe, no opponent can be dismissed, and basketball is played by teams — not box scores.

The best games don’t always go to the best team. Sometimes they go to the hungriest one.

❓ FAQs

Q: What was the final score of the Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder game on January 23, 2026?

A: Indiana Pacers 117, Oklahoma City Thunder 114.

Q: Who led the Pacers in the Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder match?

A: Andrew Nembhard with 27 pts (10-16 FG, 4-7 3P, 3-4 FT) and 11 assists (+16). Jarace Walker added a career-high 26 pts (8-15 FG, 3-6 3P, 7-11 FT).

Q: Who was OKC’s top scorer?

A: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 47 points — 17-of-28 FG (60.7%), 1-of-4 from three, and a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line.

Q: What was Luguentz Dort’s stat line?

A: 2 points on 1-of-9 FG (0-of-5 from three) in 35:02, finishing at -17 — the worst plus/minus on the entire floor.

Q: Did Tyrese Haliburton play in the Indiana Pacers Vs Oklahoma City Thunder game?

A: No. Haliburton was listed as inactive, having torn his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2024–25 NBA Finals.

Q: How did the game end?

A: SGA hit two free throws to cut it to 115-114 with 7.8 seconds left. Walker answered with two free throws for 117-114. Isaiah Joe missed an open corner three at the buzzer.

Q: What was Chet Holmgren’s full stat line?

A: 25 points (8-14 FG, 2-4 3P, 7-8 FT), 13 defensive rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, +13 in 33:16.

Q: Which players were inactive for both teams?

A: IND: Haliburton, Mathurin, Toppin, Q. Jackson, Taelon Peter. OKC: Jalen Williams, Hartenstein, Caruso, Topic, Mitchell, Sorber. Aaron Wiggins (OKC) also did not dress due to injury/illness.