OKLAHOMA CITY — Andrew Nembhard posted 27 points and 11 assists and Jarace Walker scored a career-high 26 points to lead the Pacers to a stunning 117-114 win over the defending champion Thunder in an NBA Finals rematch at the Paycom Center on Friday night. The Thunder were 16.5-point favorites.
The Pacers snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 11-35, still in last place in the Eastern Conference. The Thunder fell to 37-9, still the best record in the NBA.
Forward Pascal Siakam added 21 points for the Pacers. Forward Aaron Nesmith added 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. Center Micah Potter came off the bench for 10 points and 10 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 47 points. Center Chet Holmgren had 26 points and 13 rebounds.
Here are three observations.
Pacers go small and it works
The Pacers have been short-handed all season, but the Thunder came into Friday’s game missing five key pieces — guards Alex Caruso and Ajay Mitchell, wings Jalen Williams and Aaron Wiggins and big man Isaiah Hartenstein. With so much depth out, the Pacers decided to make them run around and went small with their starting lineup. They didn’t play a true center, listing Pascal Siakam as their 5 man with wings Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker and Johnny Furphy and point guard Andrew Nembhard making up the rest of the starting lineup. Three of the four centers on the roster — Micah Potter, Isaiah Jackson and Jay Huff — got action for a combined 33 minutes, but the Pacers had significant time without a center on the floor.
The approach worked brilliantly, especially at the start of each half. The Pacers made 7 of their first 9 shots and outscored the Thunder 39-28 in the first quarter, making 16 of 30 field goals and 6 of 11 3s in the period for 1.45 points per possession. It matched their highest scoring first period of the season.
The Pacers shooting eventually cooled but they stayed step-for-step with the defending champs and current NBA leaders all night. Every time the Thunder made a big run, the Pacers answered and they ended up with more answers than the Thunder had.
All five starters had big contributions of some form. Siakam scored 21 points. Nembhard had 27 and 11 assists. Nesmith scored 17, breaking out of an elongated shooting slump. Walker had 26. Furphy scored just four points, but grabbed 10 rebounds.
Jarace Walker keeps showing force
Jarace Walker’s contributions are worth addressing separately because they represent a continuation of an excellent trend of growth. He was the one promoted to the starting lineup to make for the smaller five, and he played with a level of force that made sure coach Rick Carlisle didn’t regret it.
Walker scored his 26 points on 8 of 15 shooting. He was 3 of 6 from beyond the arc and 7 of 11 from the line, hitting four key free throws down the stretch. Beyond that he drove hard to the rim and scored in the midrange, at the rim and through contact. He added four rebounds and three assists and played strong defense with two steals.
Aaron Nesmith breaks out of slump
Aaron Nesmith went into Friday night’s game having gone 0 of 10 from 3-point range and 4 of 18 from the floor in the last two games. Since Jan. 6, he was 26 of 93 from the floor (28.0%) and 11 of 51 from 3 (21.6%.)
So the Pacers’ glue guy needed a breakout game and he got one.
Nesmith hit a 3 in the first quarter and it seemed like the lid finally came off. He ended up 3 of 5 from beyond the 3-point arc and that opened up driving lanes and he finished with 17 points on 7 of 14 shooting.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
