Thunder Beat Pacers in NBA Finals G4 as Fans Hype SGA for 'Clutch' Game to Tie Series

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came up clutch, finishing with 35 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 111-104 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night, evening the series 2-2.

With the win, the Thunder kept their championship hopes alive and will head back home for a pivotal Game 5 as the series shifts to Oklahoma City tied at 2-2.

The Thunder remain the betting favorite to win the championship, too, with -590 odds to win it all, via FanDuel Sportsbook.

However, in the fourth quarter of Game 4, the Thunder and Pacers had near identical odds to claim the title at -112 and -104 odds, respectively, signaling that Indiana may have become the favorite to win the title had they taken a 3-1 series lead.

Fans were hyped as SGA and the Thunder staged a clutch fourth-quarter comeback to snatch Game 4 and breathe new life into the series.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points on 50 percent shooting while playing a game-high 40 minutes. Alex Caruso added 20 points, Jalen Williams had 27 and Chet Holmgren contributed 14 points and 15 rebounds.

On the other side, Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 20 points on 6-of-15 shooting. Tyrese Haliburton added 18 points, despite going 1-of-7 from beyond the arc.

The Pacers opened the game on fire from deep, hitting their first four 3-point attempts — capped by a logo-range triple from Haliburton — to jump out to a 20-12 lead less than five minutes in.

The Thunder answered with a 9-0 run, capped by a Caruso steal that led to a fast-break layup. Caruso carried seven points into the second quarter, while Williams led the way with 12 and Gilgeous-Alexander added four.

The Thunder battled through the second quarter with timely defensive stops that turned into points on the other end, cutting the deficit to 60-57 at halftime.

Gilgeous-Alexander charged into halftime with 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Holmgren added six, Williams had 16, and Caruso chipped in 11 off the bench.

For the Pacers, Siakam paced the team with 14 points at the break, while Haliburton and T.J. McConnell each contributed eight.

Gilgeous-Alexander took over in the third quarter, hitting several tough, contested shots to keep the Thunder within striking distance. Caruso added six more to his total, while Williams continued his strong night with seven in the frame.

Despite the Thunder’s surge, the Pacers kept their foot on the gas, extending their lead to as much as seven behind clutch plays from Myles Turner and reigning Eastern Conference MVP Siakam.

SGA poured in 15 points down the stretch in the fourth quarter as the Thunder locked in defensively and pulled off an incredible win to even the series.

The series shifts back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Monday, with the Thunder looking to carry the momentum of their win into their home court.