The Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Tyrese Haliburton hit a game-winner to cap a Pacers comeback to overcome Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 38 points on 30 shots.
While the Thunder lost the game, there were some clear winners in the game. The Pacers, Haliburton, fans who were expecting a lop-sided series and of course... Nikola Jokic?
That's the name that came to Bill Simmons's mind after he watched the Pacers beat the Thunder and he explained that thought to Zach Lowe as soon as the game was over.
"I have down as a winner, Nikola Jokic," Simmons told Lowe. "Just because I think OKC is just an absolute beast. And you think, he takes Team USA to the brink and almost beats them. Takes this OKC team to seven and then you watched them in the first half and you're like oh my god this team is going to go 84-18..."
This certainly seems like something Simmons came up with way before the game ended and he just had to shoehorn it into the conversation, even if the result contradicted his point. As Lowe quickly pointed out, the Pacers' win actually made a better case for Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks as winners.
Even if the Knicks, just like Jokic and the Nuggets, have already lost.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Simmons Names Unlikely Winner in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
