The Indiana Pacers, with a chance to go up 3-1 at home in front of the home faithful, blew it. The Pacers were up by 11 in the waning seconds of the third quarter and were up by seven to begin the fourth. Up until game four, Indiana has dominated the fourth quarter, as they have won it by a total of 27 points. The script flipped in Game Four, where the OKC Thunder dominated the fourth quarter to tie it up 2-2.
As mentioned, the Indiana Pacers were up 11 with the third quarter dwindling and the home crowd going nuclear. This game could have easily gotten away from the young Thunder, especially with the way things were going. OKC was playing an uncharacteristic game and looked flustered in the first three quarters.
The Thunder could not buy a basket from beyond the arc. Through the first three quarters, they shot 1/13 from three. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was shooting under 50% all game, and at one point had almost as many shots as points. The bench, other than Caruso, struggled mightily as they scored 6 points.
Indiana, on the other hand, was rolling. Tyrese Haliburton was rolling, Toppin was hitting threes, and the defense was exceptional. OKC looked flustered on offense for the first time all postseason, and all things were pointing towards a Pacers win. Then OKC showed why they won 68 games.
The Thunder won the fourth quarter 31-17 behind SGA’s MVP-like performance as he willed the team back into the game, scoring 15 of his 35 points in the final 12 minutes. Then, OKC’s defense came to life and did what they’ve always done, and played stifling defense, causing a lot of bad offensive possessions and turnovers for the Pacers in the second half of the fourth quarter.
With some help from the Pacers’ mistakes down the stretch, OKC was able to steal game four. It was truly an impressive comeback.
The Pacers are having a similar experience to the Denver Nuggets when facing the Thunder. Both teams stole Game One in OKC, where they trailed the entire game. In Game Two, OKC responded resoundingly and blew out the opposition to tie it up 1-1. Then OKC beat both teams in the clutch in Game Three to go up 2-1 with a great opportunity to go up 3-1 at home.
Then came Game Four. The game that altered the series for the Nuggets, and it could do the same for the Pacers. In Game Four, both Denver and Indiana had seven to eight-point leads at the beginning of the fourth quarter, with all the momentum. OKC then came back slowly but surely with their defense and timely baskets, and crept back into the game to pull away in the final minutes. The Nuggets dominated the fourth quarter up until that game, just like Indiana had done as well.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, this trajectory does not bode well for them, as the Nuggets lost their series in seven. So that begs the question: Did the Pacers let this series slip away, or can they find a way?
Basketball fans have been very vocal in terms of sharing their displeasure with this year’s finals. People are unhappy with how the finals have been presented to the audience. The missing Finals trophy in the middle of the court and the lack of gold in the scoreboard were two of the main points noted. People were not happy with the fact that the NBA Finals were presented like a game in January, and they had a valid point.
A lot of people have stated however, that this year’s finals have been boring because of the two teams that made it. People point out how the two small markets and the lack of household names have made this boring to watch, but this series has proven those takes wrong. This has been one of the best finals in recent memory. It certainly is far and away better than the 5 game series that have taken place in 2023 and 2024.
For those who follow basketball closely and love to watch hoops, this is no surprise. Two teams that have depth, ball movement, and good defense will 10/10 times produce competitive and fun basketball. These teams are the first and second-best teams in terms of record since January 1st. That is all one can ask as a viewer.
Those who say these finals are boring do not truly understand the essence of team basketball.
The NBA Finals are now all knotted up at two apiece with Game Five heading back to OKC. This series is now up for grabs. The Indiana Pacers certainly have what it takes to win another one in OKC, but the Thunder have the momentum right now. The winner of Game Five in the NBA Finals has gone on to win 72% of the series.
It is now a best-of-three!
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!
