It felt like the Oklahoma City Thunder were all but done.
Late in the third quarter of Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Obi Toppin sparked a 12-4 rally that stretched the Indiana Pacers’ lead from two to 10, 86–76. Momentum was firmly in Indiana’s favor, and at that point, it seemed like they were on their way to not just winning Game 4—but the championship.
But Oklahoma City had other plans.
The Thunder locked in on the defensive end and clawed their way back, eventually tying the game at 89 with 8:13 remaining in the fourth. Both sides traded baskets over the next five minutes, putting on an impressive display of grit and shot-making.
In the end, it was Oklahoma City who came out on top. The Thunder finally broke through and zoomed ahead, 104–103, at the 2:23 mark—their first lead of the second half—and never gave it back.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine straight points to put Oklahoma City in control, then calmly sank all six of his free throw attempts in the closing minutes to seal the win. In total, he accounted for 15 of the team’s final 16 points in what was arguably the finest performance of his NBA career. It also set a new record for the most points scored by a player in the final five minutes of an NBA Finals game since 1971.
The Thunder eventually won by seven, 111-104, to not only tie the series at 2-2, but also regain home court advantage.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 35 points on 12-of-24 shooting and a perfect 10-of-10 from the line—all while being the focal point of Indiana’s defense. He was shut down for most of the contest and his teammates ably picked up the slack in his stead. Jalen Williams put up 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists while Chet Holmgren added 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Veteran Alex Caruso chipped in with 20 points on seven-of-nine shots, three rebounds, five steals, and one block. He became the first player in NBA Finals history to have two 20-point games after having zero in the regular season and the second with at least 20 points, 75% field goal shooting, and five steals–and the first one to do it while coming off the bench.
This win might have been the most important one of the entire NBA season for Oklahoma City. The Pacers were well on the way to a 3-1 lead and instead, the NBA Finals are now down to a virtual best-of-three where the Thunder have two of the potential three games at home.
If the Thunder go on to win it all, this fourth-quarter takeover by Gilgeous-Alexander will be remembered as one of the great clutch performances in NBA history. On the biggest stage, with everything slipping away, the newly minted NBA MVP delivered—and in doing so, not only cemented his place among the best in the league today, but also took a definitive step toward joining the pantheon of all-time great guards to ever play the game.
