OKC Thunder's comeback win in NBA Finals Sport 4 vs. Pacers defined in eight performs – The Oklahoman

INDIANAPOLIS — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shotmaking was absurd and the Thunder’s protection was impeccable within the fourth quarter of Game 4’s 111-104 comeback win — a 12-minute body that may dwell on in Thunder lore ought to Oklahoma Metropolis win two extra video games and declare the NBA title. 
The Thunder, after dropping every of the primary three quarters, outscored the Pacers 31-17 within the fourth Friday night time to even these NBA Finals 2-2. 
It’s not like Indiana bought buried beneath a type of traditional Thunder avalanches that occur in a snap. No, OKC’s comeback was methodical. 
“We had guys make performs that you possibly can say had been invisible, that led to a number of good issues taking place for us,” Chet Holmgren mentioned. 
Listed below are all of the little performs that fueled the Thunder’s unlikely Sport 4 win: 
Perhaps we must always’ve recognized a comeback was in retailer after the Thunder’s first basket of the fourth quarter. Remoted on the prime of the arc with 5 seconds left on the shot clock, Alex Caruso needed to play hero ball on the finish of a jumbled possession. 
Caruso dribbled between his legs earlier than going left towards Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith. Caruso bought into Nesmith’s chest earlier than spinning off Nesmith right into a fadeaway 14-footer with lower than two seconds on the shot clock. 
Caruso swished it, hushing the Indiana crowd for at the least a second, and drawing the Thunder again inside 5. 
Pacers guard T.J. McConnell threw a skip cross to Pascal Siakam for a catch-and-shoot 3-point try over Kenrich Williams, who closed out effectively for the powerful contest. 
Siakam’s shot bounced onerous off the rim towards the nook of the courtroom close to the Thunder’s bench. 
“Yeah, Chet!” Mark Daigneault yelled as Holmgren, in a foot race with McConnell, bounded after it. Holmgren bought there first, however his momentum would’ve taken him out of bounds had he tried to take care of possession. Holmgren instinctively threw the ball off McConnell to safe the Thunder rebound. 
Holmgren made good on his effort by driving into the lane and drawing a foul on the Thunder’s ensuing possession. He made each free throws to chop Indiana’s result in 5. 
Holmgren had a pair of monster putbacks off SGA 3-point misses early within the fourth quarter. This was the first. 
Holmgren’s toes weren’t even within the paint when SGA’s step-back 3 hit the again iron, however no Pacer bought a physique on the Thunder heart. Holmgren skied for the rebound and laid within the putback to attract the Thunder inside three. Timeout, Pacers. 
One other SGA missed 3. One other free lane to a rebound for Holmgren. Holmgren timed his jump and slammed the putback. The Thunder trailed by one. 
“They’re successful the small battles,” SGA mentioned after the sport. “They’re successful the physicality. They’re successful the aggressiveness battles. They’re successful the 50/50 performs. Now, we strung collectively sufficient tonight in a brief period of time to return out with a W. If we wish to do what we finally set our minds out to do, we bought to handle these issues and throw the primary punch.” 
Isaiah Hartenstein, again within the beginning 5, had a blah recreation. He performed solely 21 minutes, together with simply three within the fourth quarter. 
In a sequence you gained’t discover within the field rating, Hartenstein was key in how he cleared a path for Jalen Williams on a game-tying layup. Hartenstein screened Nesmith, which allowed J-Dub a bonus. As Williams snaked to the rim, Hartenstein, like a pulling guard, sealed off Myles Turner to arrange a simple end for Williams. 
Hartenstein scored his solely bucket of the sport a bit greater than a minute later. SGA drove and located Hartenstein with a slick dump-off cross, however Andrew Nembhard stripped Hartenstein on Hartenstein’s approach up. 
Hartenstein instantly bought the ball again and banked in a tricky layup over Turner to make it a two-point recreation. A big-time second effort by Hartenstein. 
This time, Holmgren and Hartenstein combined on a hustle play that tied the game. 
Jalen Williams’ powerful, pull-up jumper from the foul line was off. Turner did a wonderful job boxing Hartenstein out, however Hartenstein tipped the ball out earlier than Turner may safe the rebound. The faucet went proper to Holmgren, who redirected it to SGA, who made good on the second and third efforts with a nifty layup to tie the sport. 
Tyrese Haliburton hoped for the kill shot. The Pacers star danced with SGA from behind the arc earlier than pulling from 30 toes — a 3-pointer that may’ve prolonged Indiana’s result in 5. And Gilgeous-Alexander blocked it. 
Granted, Nesmith outworked Lu Dort for the rebound, which led to a Dort foul and two free throws for Nesmith, however SGA’s block deserves some love. 
Gilgeous-Alexander drained a clutch 3-pointer a minute later to chop the Pacers’ result in one. 
Dort, superglued to Haliburton’s hip, blew up a dribble-handoff between Turner and Haliburton. Dort chased after the ball with no Pacer between him and the basket. He drove to the rim the place he was fouled onerous by Turner. 
Dort made one in every of two free throws to offer the Thunder a two-point lead. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 of the Thunder’s final 16 factors — with Dort’s free throw accounting for the opposite. 
The Thunder held the Pacers to at least one level within the closing three minutes. 
Joe Mussatto is a sports activities columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a narrative concept for Joe? Electronic mail him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Assist Joe’s work and that of different Oklahoman journalists by buying a digital subscription right now at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

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