Oklahoma City beat Indiana 114-112 in a preseason game, erasing a 16-point deficit behind a closing lineup of Alex Caruso, Bennett Stirtz, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jalen Williams and Jared McCain. The result capped a stretch of three games in seven days for the Thunder, who next play at Houston in two days and open the regular season at San Antonio on Oct. 20.
A 16-Point Hole, Erased
Indiana built its largest cushion of the night at 16 points, while Oklahoma City's own largest lead topped out at just 3, in an opening stretch with five lead changes and no ties. Oklahoma City's answer came from its closing five — Alex Caruso, Bennett Stirtz, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jalen Williams and Jared McCain — the same group on the floor when a game Indiana controlled for long stretches turned into a 114-112 Thunder win. In the period's final seconds, Indiana's only response was a single Tyrese Haliburton free throw, while no Thunder player scored down the stretch.
Starters Short, Bench Long
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 4-for-5 from the floor for 12 points across 12 minutes, yet finished at minus-8, the most lopsided mark credited to an Oklahoma City starter. Cason Wallace matched that tone at minus-10 despite two steals and a block, and Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein both finished at minus-9 without a point between them. The lift came off the bench: Jared McCain's five points on 1-for-4 shooting and Kenrich Williams' four points on 1-for-2 were the only two plus marks of the night for Oklahoma City.
Zero Rest, A Crowded Week
Oklahoma City played this one on zero rest days, its third game in the previous seven, while Indiana arrived with two rest days behind it and only two games in that same week. Oklahoma City's full healthy group — Hartenstein, McCain, Caruso, Wallace and Gilgeous-Alexander — had been cleared the same day, which is why a rotation built around its starters' minutes let the closing five play through reserves like Stirtz and Dix. The next look comes at Houston in two days, with the regular-season opener at San Antonio five days after that, followed by home dates against Denver and the Clippers before the month is out.
Did this game count toward the Thunder's regular-season record?
No. Oklahoma City's 114-112 win over Indiana was a preseason game, so the regular-season record stayed at 0-0.
Why did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander post a minus-8 in the box score despite scoring 12 points?
He played just 12 minutes, and Oklahoma City was outscored during his stretch on the floor, the most lopsided mark on the team's line for the night.
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