With or without the decals of the Larry O’Brien Trophy on the floor, Game 4 of the series is going to have all eyes on it, as the Indiana Pacers look to push the Oklahoma City Thunder to the edge. The Bolts, meanwhile, aim to get the momentum back before flying back to Oklahoma City for Game 5.
Catch this game live on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 8:30 AM, Manila time.
Away: Oklahoma City Thunder (1-2)
Projected Starting Five:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Luguentz Dort
- Jalen Williams
- Chet Holmgren
- Isaiah Hartenstein
The Thunder blew Indiana out of the water in Game 2, but make no mistake about it, they are in a dogfight in the 2025 NBA Finals, and if it’s not clear enough at this point, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can’t win it all by himself. He had 24 points in OKC’s 116-107 loss in Game 3, but Indiana’s defense held him to only 9-for-20 shooting from the field while getting him to cough the ball up six times.
The support for SGA should come from beyond just what his fellow starters can offer. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams combined for 46 points in the last game, but the Thunder’s bench got absolutely embarrassed by its Indiana counterpart. Oklahoma City’s relievers mustered 18 points to 49 by Pacers backups. Alex Caruso, who has become some sort of a darling in the series, was out-darlinged by T.J. McConnell (more on him later), as the former Texas A&M Aggies star finished Game 4 with a game-worst minus-15 in the 32 minutes he spent on the floor.
Home: Indiana Pacers (2-1)
Projected Starting Five:
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Andrew Nembhard
- Aaron Nesmith
- Pascal Siakam
- Myles Turner
In Game 4, McConnell reminded everyone that the Leon Powes of the world are still around, as he wreaked havoc and helped change the flow of the contest in Indiana’s favor by capitalizing on his strengths and simply playing like rent is due. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin formed a dangerous Tucson Twosome act, with the Arizona Wildcats products combining for 37 points off the bench.
McConnell also had five assists and five steals, all in just the 15 minutes Rick Carlisle gave him. It takes a squad to beat a team like the Thunder, and that’s what the Pacers are showing through three games in the series. Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard can go unrecognized outside, but their faces were probably what SGA is seeing in his sleep after the duo did an admirable job of helping Indiana slow down the MVP in the last game.
Picks
Spread: Indiana Pacers (+6.0)
Over/Under: Over (227.0)
