OKLAHOMA CITY — In the final seconds of the opening frame, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a little fun with Jalen Slawson. He jammed the brakes on the inexperienced NBA player. That wasn't enough, though. After fooling him once, he fooled him again with an up-and-under layup. Knowing he did him dirty, he hopped back on defense.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were finally on the right side of the final score in a 114-112 overtime preseason win over the Indiana Pacers. That said, the final five minutes were a bummer as the energy shifted from indifference to sympathy.
In their dress rehearsal, the Thunder salvaged things after a slow start. Emotions were high for the road team. Tyrese Haliburton had waited long enough. He wanted to cross off a year-old
bucket-list item. It was the first time the All-Star had been in OKC's gym since he infamously tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
Let's just say Haliburton when all out. Cynics would call it overcompensation for Game 7's result. But optimists would view it as him shedding ghosts. He absolutely torched the nets. The Thunder fell behind from the jump. They were in a 33-25 deficit after the first quarter.
After getting down by 20 points, the Thunder decided enough was enough. Knowing this was likely their final run before these games start to matter, they locked in. Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams helped OKC erupt for a 27-9 run to end the first half. The Thunder put up 34 points in the second half. Now, we had a game.
Entering halftime in a 61-59 deficit, the Thunder decided to see a little more out of their two-time MVP winner and All-NBA talent. They helped them retake the lead as the Pacers pulled the plug. Following three quarters, OKC had a modest 85-85 lead. Jared McCain showed little hesitation to put shots up. With both sides down to their third-string players, we saw some fireworks.
It started with Kenrich Williams and James Johnson. After both veteran wings exchanged some smack-talk following a tough foul, Williams went with the isolation look on him. He nailed a side-step 3-pointer in front of his face. The OKC bench absolutely erupted in excitement. Alas, it came at a cost. As Daigneault was hit with a technical foul.
Down to their C/D squads respectively, points came at a premium. The game devolved back to a half-century ago. The Thunder barely scraped by with 15 points in the fourth quarter. With both teams within a couple of possessions of each other, we saw each side have their respective big-time buckets to go beyond regulation.
In his Kobe moment, Brooks Barnhizer barreled his way into the paint. He went with a hook shot that miraculously fell through. That put the Thunder ahead 100-98 with 35 seconds left. Kobe Brown left them little time to celebrate. He returned the favor. Except he also drew an and-one on his driving layup.
Brown couldn't make OKC regret the costly foul. He missed the go-ahead free throw. Both teams were tied at 100 points apiece through four quarters. And with a quarter-filled crowd, we headed into preseason overtime. The one thing everybody universally agrees shouldn't exist.
Any excitement over OKC's end-of-bench guys getting a win was quickly zapped. A minute into overtime, Oweh fell in a non-contact injury. He made the dreaded negative step. After a timeout, the Thunder huddled around him as he lay on the floor. Eventually, a few of his teammates carried him into the locker room — putting zero weight on his right leg.
Just by eyeballing the injury, you can kinda tell what it is. Of course, nothing has been confirmed yet. But both of these teams know the type of career-altering setback that follows such a scene. You hope that it's not the case. But all signs point toward that being just wishful thinking.
After Oweh's dreadful-looking injury, the Thunder and Pacers played out the remainder of the five-minute period. Tied at 112 points apiece with a minute to go, Zhaire Smith went on a scoring flurry with seven points in OT. He hit the eventual go-ahead bucket with a pull-up mid-range jumper. After being on ice for most of the preseason, the former NBA first-round pick made the best of his situation. They scored 14 points in overtime to get the close victory.
The Thunder shot 48% from the field and went 14-of-39 (35.9%) from 3. They shot 14-of-21 on free throws. They had 22 assists on 43 baskets. Four Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander had a cool 15 points and six assists. Williams walked his way to 16 points and four rebounds. McCain dropped 20 points off the bench. And Mara had 10 points, four rebounds and three blocks.
Meanwhile, the Pacers shot 43% from the field and went 14-of-47 (29.8%) from 3. They shot 12-of-17 on free throws. They had 29 assists on 43 baskets. Five Pacers players scored double-digit points.
Haliburton had a vengeful 24 points and three assists in the first half. Ivica Zubac looked like quite the get with 13 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 12 points and five rebounds. Brown had 10 points and five rebounds. Jay Huff had 11 points and three rebounds.
Fun game, but ultimately only the first half mattered. Maybe some of the second half when Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams played. The biggest takeaway? Just a teeny tiny bit of concern. Specifically, about the slow start. But hey, Pacers went all out in this one. You can tell there was sentimental value that went beyond the surface level of this one.
That said, the Thunder course-corrected. A first-half run soothed any worries. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams led the charge. But OKC's bench unit attacked in waves. You hope to avoid falling into such a deep hole to begin with, but good to know they're capable of flipping a switch, per se.
Let's look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: B
Catching the ball in rhythm, Gilgeous-Alexander went to work. A pump-fake and side-step had Zubac on ice skates. The two-time MVP worked on his outside jumper as he pulled up from deep for the opening bucket. The ball rainbowed in. That's quite the way to get through a quick tune-up.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting and six assists. He shot 1-of-1 from 3 and went 4-of-5 on free throws. He also had one steal and one block.
Preseason is just way too easy for one of the game's top players. Even at cruise control, Gilgeous-Alexander has toyed with every defender thrown his way. This time, he worked in the mid-range and got the cup with ease. The latter involved some circus-type finishes as he had fun in this glorified exhibition. He scored his first dozen points in the first quarter.
If you're looking for what Gilgeous-Alexander's regular-season rotation minutes might look like, the first half was a sneak peek. He played the entire first quarter and half of the second. Getting a little more run to start the second half, the 28-year-old looks absolutely ready for Opening Night.
If this is it for his preseason action, Gilgeous-Alexander didn't need much time to remind folks just how freaking good he is. He's a walking 30-point bucket for a reason. It felt like he barely broke a sweat in his handful of preseason stints. Nice to see one of the game's greatest scorers ever get back to work.
2️⃣ getting us started 🎯 pic.twitter.com/2awlQ8fJFX
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 14, 2026
Showing off the moves 🕺 pic.twitter.com/9QfrgTQbaE
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 14, 2026
Jalen Williams: B-plus
Perfectly timing a cut to the basket, Williams had an easy opening on his way to a dunk. His connection with Isaiah Hartenstein could return to the menu after a one-year sabbatical. With Chet Holmgren out again, he was the other All-NBA talent who suited up for OKC's presumed dress rehearsal.
Williams finished with 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting, four rebounds and three assists. He shot 1-of-4 from 3 and went 1-of-3 on free throws. He also had one steal.
It took Williams a while to get going, but he did most of his damage in the middle quarters. Four fouls in 10 minutes showed that there was rust to knock off. Even if his motor was clearly fine. Since this preseason started, you can tell he's playing with an extra pep in his step. I guess basically sacrificing a whole year of your prime puts things in perspective.
Once Williams found a flow, he was a scoring machine. The 25-year-old muscled his way to the rim for driving layups. When he wasn't doing that, he found his favorite spots in the mid-range with a few pull-up jumpers. He also cashed in on a catch-and-shoot look. As the Thunder finally played seriously, he was one of the catalysts of their tsunami-esque run.
After briefly playing the third quarter, Williams eventually sat out for good. In his limited preseason run, he's looked more than ready to help the Thunder. Good to see. Especially since their title aspirations fall squarely on his health. Sure, they can get by most of the league. But as last year proved, you badly need him against your top competitor in San Antonio.
Good look from the rook 🥽 pic.twitter.com/78YfwrVMyF
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 14, 2026
Jared McCain: B-plus
Benefiting from OKC's ping-pong style ball movement, McCain caught Gilgeous-Alexander's pass. He quickly drilled the outside jumper. A minute before halftime, they had completely rewritten the game script. The 22-year-old played a vital part in that as he caught fire.
McCain finished with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting, two assists and two rebounds. He shot 6-of-12 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had one steal.
This was McCain at his best, folks. Never have to worry about any hesitancy from him. As soon as the ball finds his hands, you can expect it to go up. You saw the perks of that with 14 points in the first half. As the Thunder went on a mega-sized run, his outside shot fell. Don't think that's a coincidence.
The Thunder are relying on McCain to have similar types of hot streaks. Heck, that's how you justify him playing real minutes. His bread and butter is his outside jumper. As well as his green light. The high volume and hot efficiency are two variables you want going for you in this role. He'll be important for OKC to get buckets in its second-unit offense.
That ball movement 👀
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 14, 2026
For the JMac triple 👌 pic.twitter.com/APrL8CZviM
Aday Mara: B
Keeping his hand up on Siakam, Mara rejected the All-Star's push shot. Grabbing the rebound and running the floor, his two-time MVP teammate rewarded his hustle. The 21-year-old needed little time to get into the post and hit his signature spin move for the layup.
Mara finished with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, four rebounds and one assist. He shot 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had three blocks.
This wasn't the eye-popping statline that Mara has had in any preseason outings, but this was arguably the most promising of the bunch. Why? Because he showed he can seamlessly fit into a downsized role. Against the Pacers' loaded frontcourt, he held his own against a few accomplished NBA players.
Logging some serious minutes in the NBA preseason, Mara has shown few signs of fatigue. On the second night of a road-and-home back-to-back, he balled out. This time, as a complementary piece alongside OKC's grown-up starters. He was an easy assist machine as his teammates fed him the ball down low.
Not just that, but Mara held his own as a rim protector. His sheer 7-foot-3 frame will make him dependable in that area. Opposing teams have needed a minute to adjust to his Godzilla-esque height. Most who dare to challenge him have failed to get the ball anywhere near the rim. With a game to go, he's easily been OKC's best preseason story.
Now, we're approaching the next step of his NBA journey. Can Mara replicate most of this when the games matter? We're a week away from an early answer. But there's no doubt that the 21-year-old has completely flipped the fanbase's excitement about him. Not only has he weaponized his unique size, but he's shown he can handle the grind of a regular-season schedule without resorting to fumes.
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This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder have dress rehearsal in 114-112 OT preseason win over Pacers
