Tonight isn’t just another regular season matchup for the Thunder, it's a Finals rematch. The Oklahoma City Thunder travel to Indiana for the first time since celebrating their championship four months ago, and even though it’s October, the emotions will still be fresh. 

The Thunder opened the season with a confident win on ring night, but this game presents a different type of challenge, the mental kind.

The Pacers are short handed and a little reshaped. Myles Turner is gone after being traded in the offseason, and both Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell are sidelined. 

That leaves Indiana without its top playmaker, veteran spark off the bench, and rim protector from last season. On paper, Oklahoma City has every advantage. But champions are measured by how they handle games like this, not just the big ones. The Thunder must bring focus, energy, and discipline to avoid playing down to a depleted opponent.

Here are the three keys to the game for Oklahoma City.

1. Don’t Play Down to the Competition

Every team gives their best shot against the defending champs. Even one missing its stars. The Thunder can’t assume this will be easy just because Indiana is shorthanded. These are the games that test maturity and championship habits.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander must set the tone from the opening tip, playing with the same patience and command he showed on ring night. Oklahoma City can’t afford slow starts or stretches of careless play. 

Instead, they need to dictate energy and stay sharp on both ends. The Pacers will play loose with nothing to lose, which can make them dangerous. For the Thunder, this is about professionalism, handling business and maintaining championship standards no matter who’s on the other side.

2. Dominate the Paint

With Myles Turner no longer patrolling the paint, the Pacers’ interior defense is significantly weaker. That’s an area Oklahoma City must exploit from start to finish. Chet Holmgren should look to be assertive, attacking the rim, rolling hard on screens, and creating mismatches against Indiana’s smaller bigs.

In their opener, the Thunder put up 52 threes. Some were really good looks that they just missed and some were early shot clock misses that could have been turned into better looks. 

Guys like Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace (if he plays) can also thrive by slashing, cutting and crashing the glass. The Thunder gave up too many offensive rebounds in their opener against Houston and that can’t happen again. Without Turner, there’s no reason Oklahoma City shouldn’t control the boards and convert second chance points. 

Winning the interior battle will not only create easy buckets but also set the physical tone early.

3. Control the Pace

With Haliburton and McConnell out, the Pacers’ ability to dictate tempo is severely limited. That’s where Oklahoma City can seize full control. 

The Thunder thrive when they play with balance, knowing when to push in transition, and when to slow down to run their sets.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s poise and decision making are critical here. If the Thunder turn the game into a track meet, it opens the door for Indiana’s younger players to get hot and gain confidence. But if the Thunder keep the pace deliberate and force the Pacers to defend in the halfcourt, their superior talent and discipline will eventually wear them down. 

Have to have a nice balance of playing with a fast pace, getting out in the break, and playing a little slower with force.

This may not carry the Finals’ intensity, but for the Thunder, it’s another test of championship maturity. 

By staying locked in, owning the paint, and controlling tempo, Oklahoma City can remind the league why they’re still the standard and that even when the competition isn’t at full strength, the champs never take a night off.