The NBA Finals took an interesting turn on Friday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder escaped with a six-point win (111-104) over the Indiana Pacers. Losers of two straight in the series, the Thunder treated this like a must-win game, and it showed as they gave maximum effort and focus throughout the win.
With his team down in the closing minutes, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with one last push that helped seal the victory for his team. In 40 minutes, he dropped 35 points, three rebounds, and three steals on 50.0% shooting. He had help from Jalen Williams, who contributed 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists on 44.4% shooting. Meanwhile, the Pacers were led by Pascal Siakam with a final stat line of 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and five steals on 40.0% shooting. Tyrese Haliburton (who dropped 22 points in Game 3) was second in scoring tonight with 18 points, two rebounds, and seven assists on 46.7% shooting.
With how bad things looked for the Thunder in the second and third games, many fans were ready to count them out of the series altogether. Had they lost tonight, to give a 3-1 lead to the Pacers, it would have all but ended their championship aspirations. Fortunately, 34 points at the charity stripe, along with elite team defense (Pacers shot 42.5% from the field), were enough to give them the edge and swing momentum back in their favor.
On social media, some fans were surprised by the results of Game 4, but most were just happy with the actual product of the game itself. For Robert Griffin III, who was watching it live, these Finals have given us very high-quality basketball, and he says both teams deserve more appreciation for their achievements.
“The ratings for this NBA Finals may be the lowest in a while, but the high-level basketball that is being played by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers has been beautiful to watch,” he wrote on X. “I wish these 2 small market teams would get the love and appreciation they deserve.”
With the series tied, it’s still anyone’s to win, but this game was undoubtedly important in deciding the outcome. The Pacers could have gone up 3-1 with at least one more game back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Instead, the series is tied, and the Thunder are starting to believe once again.
“Pacers had their opportunity, and Thunder wouldn’t go away. The championship may well have been decided in the final 14 minutes of Game 4,” wrote one Trevor Lane on X.
Win or lose, these Finals, the Thunder can take comfort in the fact that they are only getting better. By all accounts, this is only the start of their dynasty, and they are growing up before our very eyes.
“Scary to think that this team has been improving the entire playoffs, what the hell are they gonna look like next year,” asked a fan of the Thunder.
Things were looking rough for a while there, but the Thunder managed to pull through and fight to save their season. While most Thunder fans were in panic mode, some never lost faith and will always believe in the success of their star-studded core.
“I understand being anxious, but genuinely don’t understand how people can ever give up on this Thunder team with what they’ve shown the entire season,” wrote a Thunder fan after Game 4.
Regarding the Pacers, there were many reasons why they lost tonight, but it was really in the fourth quarter when everything fell apart. Not only did it cost them the game, but some believe it may have cost them the series.
“Pacers blew it, had a 10-point lead, and just fell apart late in the 4Q as epitomized by Mathurin, of all people, missing 2 FTs! From leading scorer in Game 3 to unfortunately this in Game 4,” wrote one Pacers fan, calling out Bennedict Mathurin.
Now that they’ve managed to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole in the series, the Thunder can breathe a little easier going into the weekend. Still, there is a lot of work to be done, and this series looks like it will be a long grind. With just a few days to rest before Game 5, neither team will have long to think about tonight’s performance, but from what we’ve seen so far, this series is going to be highly competitive regardless of which team carries the most momentum.
