Shai Gilgeous-Alexander let out a long exhale as he sat and leaned back in his chair in the postgame interview room Thursday night. The Oklahoma City Thunder had just finished their second straight double-overtime game to begin the season—something no other team in NBA history had ever done. And for the second straight contest, the Thunder pulled off the victory, outlasting the Indiana Pacers 141-135 in a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals that Oklahoma City won in an epic seven-game series in June.

Gilgeous-Alexander admitted he’s tired, but it’s expected. This is a good way to break the ice on the season, shake the rust off, kind of bust the lungs up, and get his cardio back. That’s an understatement considering he set a career high with 55 points while playing 45 minutes Thursday after playing 47 minutes in Tuesday night’s opener.

Daigneault almost pulled the plug

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault had planned limiting his team’s minutes following the grueling victory over Houston on opening night, and there was a moment in the first overtime period Thursday—with Oklahoma City trailing 118-113 with 3:16 remaining—where he said it would’ve been easy pumping the brakes. But Gilgeous-Alexander wanted to keep going and didn’t want letting a chance to win slip away.

Gilgeous-Alexander explained his mindset with two points: being in the moment and understanding they were down five with three minutes left, which is plenty of time. Then also understanding the beginning of the season is just as important as the end. The difference in home-court advantage in the playoffs could be one game and one win. The Thunder know firsthand home court in the playoffs is very helpful, especially when you go seven games, so they don’t ever want taking opportunities for granted.

Ajay Mitchell stepped up huge

In Thursday’s rematch, the Thunder were missing Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, and Alex Caruso but got big contributions from second-year guard Ajay Mitchell, who finished with a career-best 26 points off the bench. Daigneault praised Mitchell’s steadiness in these two environments, noting he didn’t really blink in either game. They knew the talent and impact, but sometimes it takes guys a little bit and they seem wide-eyed. That wasn’t the case for Mitchell.

Gilgeous-Alexander gave Mitchell a big hug as the final buzzer sounded, partly because of exhaustion but also because he wanted commending the young guard for the best game of his career. Different guys are stepping up, Gilgeous-Alexander noted. Lots of guys stepped up tonight considering how much they played last game and being banged up. This team never makes excuses and is always ready for their moment.

Indiana pushed champions to the limit again

The Pacers pushed the defending champs to their limit despite playing short-handed. Already without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season, they also lost Aaron Nesmith, who fouled out in the fourth quarter, and Andrew Nembhard, who injured his left shoulder in the first half and didn’t return. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Nembhard will get further testing Friday but didn’t sound optimistic, saying the injury could potentially present some big challenges.

Still, the Pacers pushed the champs to the brink again, just like during the Finals. Pascal Siakam had 32 points and 15 rebounds while Bennedict Mathurin finished with 36 points and 11 rebounds. That kind of production almost stole a game against the defending champions playing without multiple key rotation pieces.

Carlisle acknowledged grit is what their makeup is going to have to be this year. There are going to be lots of challenges, and they’ve just got to be able taking on these challenges on a long-term basis. That’s coach-speak for “we’re going to be undermanned all season and need to grind out every single game.”

The Thunder’s historic start comes with a price

No team in NBA history has ever started a season with back-to-back double-overtime games, and there’s probably a good reason for that—it’s absolutely exhausting. Gilgeous-Alexander played 92 minutes across two games, dropped 90 combined points, and looks like he needs a week-long vacation. The Thunder are 2-0, but they’re also running their franchise player into the ground before November even arrives.

Oklahoma City’s depth will be tested all season, especially if they keep playing games that stretch into multiple overtimes. The good news? They’re winning these marathon contests and building early-season confidence. The bad news? Gilgeous-Alexander might not have any legs left by playoff time if this pace continues. At least his cardio is getting back in shape.