Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says Thunder still has ‘much work' to do vs. Pacers
INDIANAPOLIS — With his team's back against the ropes in an uphill battle, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the team on his back and crossed the finish line of a gritty Game 4 win against the Indiana Pacers. Gilgeous-Alexander's clutch performance led the Thunder to even the NBA Finals' best-of-7 series, 2-2. Erasing a 10-point deficit, the Thunder pulled ahead in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, when Shai went to work.
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With the pressure of heading back to Oklahoma City for Game 5, potentially trailing the Pacers, 3-1, Gilgeous-Alexander kept the Thunder's season alive, scoring 15 of his 35 points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City beat Indiana 111-104. The Thunder are two wins away from a title, heading back to the Paycom Center. Still, Gilgeous-Alexander knows the job is far from finished, despite being this close, and heading home for Game 5.
'Not so much relief. Personally, I much rather win than lose,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'I still feel like we have so much work to do. We're halfway there, obviously, but still so far from the finish line. I'm so focused on the next opportunity, and try to take advantage of that.'
Gilgeous-Alexander also finished with three rebounds, three steals, and one block. The Thunder
Mark Daigneault praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Thunder win
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was impressed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who nearly outscored the Pacers single-handedly in the fourth quarter (17-15) as his 15 points pushed his team to even the NBA Finals, 2-2.
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After the win, Daigneault reacted to the significance of Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder's approach down the stretch in the final frame.
'He's unreal, obviously. Really closed that thing offensively. He and Dub did a great job there, just execution-wise. The shot-making. He was outstanding,' Daigneault said. 'That was an uphill game against a great team. This is one of the best teams in the league in the last couple of months, since the All-Star break, and they're a hard team to beat here. They're a hard team to beat, period, obviously. I just thought we gutted it out on a night where we really didn't have a lot going, especially offensively.'
After Thunder veteran Alex Caruso, who finished with five steals, Lu Dort, and Jalen Williams made defensive stops that led to timely buckets, it set the stage for Gilgeous-Alexander to go off on a game-winning run to close out a must-win Game 4.
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Related: Pacers vs. Thunder Game 5 Results According to NBA 2K25
Related: DeMar DeRozan reveals Thunder's secret to success
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