Thunder-Pacers: SGA, OKC rally to win Game 4 of NBA finals

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s beardown 4th fourth carries Oklahoma City Thunder to important roadworthy triumph implicit Indiana Pacers, levelling the best-of-seven finals bid astatine 2-2.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 of his 35 points successful the 4th fourth arsenic the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied for a gritty 111-104 triumph implicit the Indiana Pacers that levelled the NBA Finals astatine 2 games apiece.

Frustrated for overmuch of the crippled by Indiana’s relentless defence, NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Gilgeous-Alexander recovered a mode to combat done connected Friday.

He followed a 3-pointer with a pull-up jumper to springiness the Thunder their archetypal pb since the archetypal fractional with 2:23 remaining successful the contest.

They wouldn’t way again. Gilgeous-Alexander, who didn’t get to the free-throw enactment successful the archetypal half, added six escaped throws successful the last 44 seconds.

“It’s a canine fight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said aft different intense, carnal conflict betwixt the 2 teams. “Every clip you measurement connected the floor, connected some ends of the level they marque you work.”

Jalen Williams scored 27 points, Chet Holmgren added 14 points and 15 rebounds and Alex Caruso chipped successful with 20 points disconnected the seat for the Thunder.

Pascal Siakam scored 20 points to pb Indiana, adding 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points, Obi Toppin added 17 disconnected the seat and the Pacers led by 10 precocious successful the 3rd quarter.

But Oklahoma City – who dropped back-to-back games conscionable doubly this play and haven’t mislaid consecutive games successful the playoffs – clamped down defensively successful the fourth, determined not to autumn successful a 3-1 hole.

“We knew it erstwhile we woke up this greeting – 3-1 is simply a batch antithetic than 2-2 going backmost home,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We played with desperation to the extremity of the crippled and that’s wherefore we won.”

Gilgeous-Alexander said the Thunder indispensable “maintain the aforesaid desperation” erstwhile they big Game 5 connected Monday.

The Thunder are seeking their archetypal rubric since the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City successful 2008, having won it each successful 1979 arsenic the Seattle SuperSonics.

Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers finished with 18 points and 7 assists successful a losing effort successful Game 4 [Kyle Terada/Getty Images via AFP]

Close archetypal half

The Pacers, chasing their archetypal NBA title, struck archetypal successful different fast-paced opening 4th successful beforehand of their energised fans, making 4 of their archetypal 5 shots and gathering a nine-point pb midway done the opening period.

Oklahoma deed back, putting unneurotic a 9-0 tally to necktie it, but the Pacers – with a beardown antiaircraft effort connected Gilgeous-Alexander and 4 steals from Pascal Siakam – emerged from the archetypal play with a 35-34 lead.

The back-and-forth conflict continued successful the 2nd erstwhile Oklahoma City led by arsenic galore arsenic six but could ne'er propulsion distant and Haliburton converted a three-point play – driving done postulation for a layup and making the escaped throw, his archetypal of the bid – to enactment Indiana up 60-57 astatine halftime.

By then, tensions had already ratcheted up. Toppin was assessed a flagrant foul for a cheque that sent Alex Caruso sprawling nether the basket.

Thunder centre Isaiah Hartenstein confronted Toppin and some received method fouls.

Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort was aboriginal assessed a flagrant foul for swiping an limb implicit Toppin’s head.

OKC rallies late

Toppin gave Indiana the archetypal double-digit pb of the crippled with a dunk that enactment them up 86-76 precocious successful the third.

But the Thunder dug deep, tying it up 4 times successful the 4th fourth earlier Gilgeous-Alexander came through.

“You’re up 7 astatine location you’ve got to excavation successful and find a mode and we were not capable to bash it tonight,” Pacers manager Rick Carlisle said. “But springiness them credit. They kept attacking, kept attacking, and their defence was large down the stretch.”

Oklahoma City closed the crippled connected a 12-1 scoring run, and Gilgeous-Alexander was the driving force.

“He’s unreal,” Thunder manager Mark Daigneault said, though Caruso said thing Gilgeous-Alexander does surprises him immoderate more.

“I’ve seen him bash it nighttime aft night,” Caruso said. “He doesn’t amusement a batch of emotion connected the court, but he’s 1 of the astir competitory guys successful this league.”

Gilgeous-Alexander #2 finished with a game-high 35 points successful Game 4 [Jesse D Garrabrant/Getty Images via AFP]