For a long stretch of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, it looked like the Pacers were the team that would leave the arena regretting a blown chance. The Pacers were committing turnovers on what seemed like every other possession – 20 turnovers in the first half alone.

Alexander and the Thunder were less than a second away from a wire-to-wire win in their NBA Finals opener against the Pacers. And then Tyrese Haliburton happened ... yet again in these wild NBA playoffs.

For years, so-called superteams disrupted the NBA's competitive balance and dominated the league to build impenetrable dynasties. From the Golden State Warriors ' extended run as perennial Finals favorites to the Miami Heat's Big 3, franchises invested heavily in veteran superstars and leaned on them to establish a reign over the league.

A title matchup that starts Thursday night between the Pacers and Thunder — two young, fun teams that score a ton and are led by marketable stars in reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Oklahoma City and Olympic gold medalist Tyrese Haliburton for Indiana — is the type of series that real basketball fans clamor for.