The Indiana Pacers had been 12 minutes away from taking a commanding 3-1 lead within the NBA Finals, however the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder moved to 6-0 within the playoffs after a loss, successful 111-104 to even the sequence 2-2. Because the sequence heads again to OKC, listed here are 5 takeaways from Recreation 4.
1. The Pacers did their most interesting work but on SGA…till the very finish
It was virtually time to ship out a search celebration for the league MVP. Andrew Nembhard and the Indiana Pacers did their finest job but defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA had a quiet 12 factors within the first half and didn’t try a free throw till the 6:09 mark of the third quarter.
Nembhard was SGA’s shadow for 94 toes and saved the ball out of Gilgeous-Alexander’s fingers greater than the Thunder would really like early on. He routinely performed off the ball and went with out an help for the primary time since 2020, per StatMuse.
However when OKC wanted him most, the MVP rose to the event. SGA scored 23 factors within the second half, together with 15 within the last 4:38 of the sport to seal the win. He completed 10-of-10 from the free-throw line. After a disappointing fourth quarter in Recreation 3 and a quiet first half to open Recreation 4, it was SGA’s MVP second that OKC sorely wanted.
