Thunder Display Grit to Even NBA Finals Series Against Pacers

The Oklahoma City Thunder demonstrated remarkable resilience to reach the NBA Finals, achieving a noteworthy feat by enduring only a two-game losing streak throughout the eight-month season. On Friday night in Indianapolis, the team faced a potential setback when the Indiana Pacers threatened to hand them their third consecutive loss, a situation that could have put the Thunder in a precarious position, trailing 3-1 in the Finals.

Historically, only one team has ever recovered from such a deficit. However, the Thunder displayed their strength by securing a stunning 111-104 victory in Game 4, equalizing the best-of-seven series at 2-2.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised the win, calling it a “great blood-and-guts win.” Despite the Pacers boasting a 9-1 record in clutch scenarios during the playoffs, they were outscored by 14 points in the fourth quarter, struggling with only five points in the final four minutes.

Indiana’s poor shooting performance contributed to their downfall, as they missed all eight of their 3-point attempts and finished with a dismal 27.8% shooting accuracy in that quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder’s star player and NBA MVP, emerged from a slow start to score 35 points, making 15 of the team’s last 16 points during crunch time.

Meanwhile, Jalen Williams added 27 points, and Chet Holmgren battled through injuries for a solid performance with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Oklahoma City overcame traditional metrics of success in the modern NBA; despite hitting only three 3-pointers, they compensated with superior free-throw shooting.

As they prepared for Game 5, the Thunder tweaked their lineup by reintroducing center Isaiah Hartenstein, but faced challenges early in the game due to Holmgren’s ankle injury. They also altered their strategy to limit Gilgeous-Alexander’s minutes in favor of maintaining his energy for crucial moments.

Despite trailing at halftime, contributions from the bench, particularly Alex Caruso’s 20 points, kept Oklahoma City competitive. In the closing minutes, a shift in defensive matchups finally allowed Gilgeous-Alexander to find his rhythm, helping the Thunder secure their first lead of the second half and hold on for the win.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle expressed disappointment but acknowledged there were still three games left in the series. Game 5 promises to be an exciting showdown in Oklahoma City.