The Thunder narrowly won in double overtime! Alexander scored 55 points on 26 free throws, and the remaining Pacers fought until the last minute.

On October 24, the NBA regular season ushered in a focus battle. The two teams in last season’s finals, the Pacers faced the Thunder at home. To be honest, the Thunder was indeed the strongest team last season, but the Pacers definitely had a chance in the finals. The most controversial point was the whistleblowing in G4, which tilted the balance of victory and defeat in favor of the Thunder, and also made many media and fans unhappy. For the Pacers, the most helpless thing is that Haliburton suffered a serious Achilles tendon rupture in the tiebreaker, which also means that they have withdrawn from the competition early this season and their core cannot play. Letting Turner go during the offseason also caused their paper strength to continue to decline. According to US media predictions, the Pacers' strength in the new season will be around eighth or ninth in the Eastern Conference.

In the opening game two days ago, Thunder players received last season's championship rings, but they were also forced into double overtime by the Rockets. Among them, Alexander scored 24 points in the fourth quarter and two overtimes, leading the Thunder to a narrow victory by 1 point. The Thunder are still the favorites to win the championship in the new season. Their biggest advantage is naturally Alexander's ability to raise the ceiling, but the depth of the lineup still cannot be underestimated. There didn't seem to be much suspense in the battle against the Pacers. Unexpectedly, the remaining Pacers (missing Haliburton + McConnell) burst out with strong willpower and forced the game to the second overtime again! The Thunder also became the first team in NBA history to start its first two games in double overtime. Does this mean that their strength is being reduced by other teams?

Briefly review the game. In fact, the Thunder did not take advantage in the first quarter. Marceline made a sudden inside and outside shot, Nesmith hit a three-pointer, Sika chased a three-pointer + military training Holmgren, they seemed to be comfortable beating the Thunder. In the second half, Sika and Toppin took turns to cause damage, and the Pacers still led the Thunder by 3 points. At the beginning of the second quarter, Alexander led the team and began to explode. With Jaylin and Youngblood's three-pointers, the Thunder quickly took the lead. In the second half, Wiggins continued to score three points, but the rhythm of the game was very broken, with various free throws and fouls. At the end of the quarter, Pacers coach Carlisle complained about a technical foul committed by the referee. Alexander scored 21 points in the first half, and the Thunder led by 7 points. The stalemate situation between the two teams lasted until the end of the fourth quarter. In the last 3 minutes, Marceline's throw gave the team a 3-point lead.

Alexander and Mitchell took turns playing singles, Marceline continued to cause damage, and Holmgren and Alexander continued to shoot free throws. In the last 11 seconds, Sika forced a jumper to tie, Alexander hit a three-pointer, and the tie went into overtime at 113! In the first overtime, after Marceline led the team to widen the 5-point gap, Alexander began to rely on people to force free throws. A suspected offensive elbow action was not called. In the last minute, Mitchell's free throw helped the Thunder tie. Alexander and Marceline each scored a goal, and the 124 tie entered overtime! In the second overtime, Walker trained Alexander, Alexander named Marceline, and Marceline left the field with 6 fouls! After that, Wiggins hit a three-pointer and Alexander counterattacked for a layup, scoring 51 points! The Pacers Shepard's three-pointer maintained the suspense, but Shepard later committed six fouls and left the game.

After that, Alexander continued to make free throws, and the Thunder finally defeated the Pacers 141-135. Thunder data, Alexander had 55 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, 23 of 26 free throws; Mitchell had 26 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, Wiggins had 23 points and 9 rebounds, Holmgren had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Harten had 5 points and 14 rebounds, and Dortmund had 7 points and 8 rebounds. According to Pacers data, Sika had 32 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists, Marceline had 36 points and 11 rebounds, Toppin had 20 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, Shepard had 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, and Walker had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. The Pacers made 40 free throws in the game, while the Thunder made 51.

First of all, this was an ugly game with too many free throws. There is no denying that the players on both sides played really hard, but the referee did not control the scale of the call well. Both sides were obviously playing with emotions, and the game lasted for more than three hours, which was really difficult to withstand. The Pacers are stronger than expected. They are the best choice if they fail this season, but it can be seen that Sika + Marceline shoulder the team's offensive burden, and the key bench scoring points are not weak. If Vansika's free throws (5 of 12) were more accurate in this game, maybe the Pacers would have won the Thunder already.

Thunder, Alexander became the first 50+ player this season. When Jay Wei is away, Alexander is bound to be full of firepower. He doesn't have many stable outside shots, so he relies on rushing to the basket, mid-range shots or causing damage. He made 26 free throws in one game. I don't know if I should say that he is very strong, or it is a matter of the referee's penalty scale. But if he continues like this, Alexander will still become the target of public criticism like last season's criticism. Before Jay Wei returns, perhaps Alexander's performance will become the norm, but with so many free throws, it will be impossible to watch.