Latest news with #Game4
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Charles Barkley sends warning to Thunder after stunning Game 3 loss
The post Charles Barkley sends warning to Thunder after stunning Game 3 loss appeared first on ClutchPoints. In Game 2, many pundits believed that there was a restoration of order after the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated proceedings against the Indiana Pacers, taking a 123-107 victory. The Thunder have been dominant all season long, and everyone knew that they were going to come out strong after suffering a heartbreaking Game 1 defeat. But in Game 3, OKC lost steam in the fourth quarter, with Tyrese Haliburton and company running away with a 116-107 win to give Indiana a 2-1 series lead. Advertisement Being down 2-1 is not a death sentence for the Thunder. After all, they faced the same deficit against the Denver Nuggets, and they came back to win Games 4 and 5 to regain control of the series. But the NBA Finals is a different beast; the stakes are higher, and the pressure is as crippling as it can be. Thus, Charles Barkley warned the Thunder that they must win Game 4, lest they stare at the face of elimination heading back to Paycom Center for Game 5. 'Friday night is D-day. That's their season. If they get down 3-1 they're not gonna win this series. Now if they get it to 2-2, they get back to being the favorite. But Friday night is their game. Remember, they had KD, Russ, and James [Harden] and never got back to the Finals again. The Pacers hadn't been there in 25 years. Man, it's hard to get here. And every time you got there, that might be your only chance,' Barkley said on the NBA TV booth following the Thunder's Game 3 loss. It took the Thunder 13 years and another rebuilding cycle for them to make it back to the NBA Finals. Nothing is guaranteed in the NBA, and Barkley implored OKC to recognize the urgency of the situation that they're in. Advertisement 'Friday night is huge for this organization. It's a huge deal. [Whichever team wins Game 4] gonna win the series, 100 percent,' Barkley added. Thunder look to remain calm under pressure Kyle Terada-Imagn Images The Thunder have been lauded as the league's biggest juggernaut this season, and with that distinction comes the high expectations of winning a championship. But the bigger the expectations are, the greater the pressure is, and OKC will have to shut out all the outside noise as they look to avoid going down 3-1 to the Pacers. As well-positioned as the Thunder may be to compete for the foreseeable future, nothing is guaranteed in the NBA, as Barkley alluded to. And now that they're this close to a championship, they're not going to want to relinquish this opportunity. Advertisement Related: LeBron James calls out media who can't sell NBA Finals Related: Oklahoma City Thunder most to blame for NBA Finals Game 3 loss to Pacers
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Charles Barkley on Thunder's NBA Finals Game 4 win: 'I think this series is a wrap'
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 111-104 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, evening the series at 2-2. Similar to Game 3, Indiana dominated in the first half. Advertisement The Pacers took an 87-80 lead into the last 12 minutes where OKC bounced back from the deficit, outscoring Indiana 31-17 in the final frame. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 35 points, 15 of which came in the fourth quarter. Jalen Williams chipped in with 27 points and seven rebounds while going a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Chet Holmgren added 14 points and 15 rebounds for the the Thunder. Alex Caruso came off the bench and was OKC's third-leading scorer with 20 points, while Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 20 points. Here are some social media reactions to OKC's win: Advertisement 5 TAKEAWAYS: Thunder wills its way to Game 4 win vs Pacers, evens NBA Finals NBA legend Charles Barkley: 'I think this series is a wrap.' More: NBA Finals Game 4 box score, stats: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder tie series vs Pacers Shai Gilgeous-Alexander keeps Thunder season alive with historic outing Alex Caruso shines for second 20-point NBA Finals game Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@ or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_ . Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Charles Barkley on NBA Finals Game 4: 'I think this series is a wrap'
Edmonton Journal
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Abbotsford Canucks can claim Calder Cup Saturday, and that would sell hope to fans
Article content 'Enjoy this tonight but tomorrow's a new day,' Abbotsford centre Chase Wouter, who's the team captain, said Thursday of the team's mindset. 'We've got to flip the page. They're a really good team over there and it's going to be a tall task for that next game. There's still a lot of work left to do.' Winger Arshdeep Bains added: 'I think we do a good job of just taking it one day at a time.' Jonathan Lekkerimäki scored twice for Abbotsford on Thursday. He is the top prospect in the Vancouver system, a 2022 first-round (No. 15 overall) selection. He had struggled in these playoffs with his all-around play, and he had been a healthy scratch for five games before being reinserted in the Abbotsford line-up for Game 4. 'To me, that sums up Lekky,' Malhotra said of the two goals. 'The kid has ice in his veins. He doesn't shy away from these big moments. He had two quality looks, and he made them count.'
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Thunder most to blame for loss to Pacers in NBA Finals Game 6
The post Thunder most to blame for loss to Pacers in NBA Finals Game 6 appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday, hoping to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy as NBA Champions. Not only did they not win the game, but the Thunder were soundly beaten in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, 108-91. Even that final score is not truly indicative of how one-sided the game was. Advertisement The Pacers led by between 20 and 30 points throughout the entire second half. It was not until starters were pulled late in the fourth quarter that the Thunder made the score look respectable. Early on, things were going Oklahoma City's way. They jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead, with the defense swarming. But that changed quickly as the Pacers began moving the ball. That also coincided with the Thunder turning the ball over time and again. But we'll get to that. For the purposes of this article, we are going to visit the three Thunder players most to blame for the Game 6 blowout loss. Thunder Most to Blame for NBA Finals Game 6 Loss Chet Holmgren The first culprit for OKC is their big man, Chet Holmgren. He flat-out played terribly in Game 6, racking up 24 of the most meaningless minutes you will ever see from someone his size. Advertisement In the first quarter, Holmgren was consistently fed the ball in the paint. The 7-foot-1 center was consistently made a fool of down low by smaller defenders from the Pacers. He finished the game with four points on 2-for-9 from the floor. He turned the ball over twice, missed all three shots from beyond the arc, and looked lost at times. Through six NBA Finals games, the Thunder big man is shooting 35 percent from the field and 12 percent from downtown. Basketball fans have rarely ever seen his combination of size, athleticism, and shooting. But once again, it was made painfully clear that until Holmgren can put on some muscle (and therefore weight), he will never live up to his potential. Alex Caruso I put Alex Caruso on this list for two reasons: He was an unmitigated disaster on both ends, and he represents a poor effort from the Thunder bench. Advertisement If you just look at the box score, you might think Oklahoma City's bench came to play Thursday night. Nothing could be further from the truth. Almost all of their scoring came when the game was out of hand in the final stanza. Caruso, particularly though, woof. He played 22 minutes, finished with zero points, and had a plus/minus of -33. Only Jalen Williams' -40 was worse. The clock clearly struck midnight on this pumpkin. The Thunder's Game 4 hero was abused defensively seemingly every time down the court. It wasn't even Pacers starters doing it to him, either. But hey, in the NBA Playoffs, the bench typically doesn't show up on the road. That brings us to the biggest problem on Thursday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Oklahoma City's best player led the team in scoring with 21 points. They weren't even terribly inefficient either, sinking 7-for-15. Yet, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be the first to tell you he did not play well. Advertisement During the regular season, he shot better than 37 percent from three, attempting more than five per game. But that number has dropped drastically, and he only attempted one in Game 6, missing it. He also tied a playoff career-high with eight turnovers. That also tied an NBA Finals Game 6 record, per Stat Muse. Several times, he found himself in no man's land. Instead of passing out of double teams, SGA tried forcing it. He also had his pocket picked by Andrew Nembhard a few times. The Pacers thrived on Thursday night off of turnovers, turning 21 of them into 19 points. Indiana loves to run, and turning the ball over sets the stage for that to happen. Advertisement Knowing bench and role players do not typically win road playoff games, it is incumbent upon the team's stars to bring it. Gilgeous-Alexander did not do that. Now, the second youngest finals team in NBA history will host a Game 7 for all of the marbles. Related: Thunder fans call fake news on Tyrese Haliburton injury Related: Thunder's NBA Finals vs. Pacers eerily similar to Nuggets series
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans can't believe Pacers blew Game 4 of NBA Finals vs. Thunder
The post Fans can't believe Pacers blew Game 4 of NBA Finals vs. Thunder appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Indiana Pacers were less than 12 minutes away from taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals on Friday night, but that's when everything fell apart. The Pacers played one of their worst quarters of the entire postseason while the Thunder surged in front, eventually stealing a 111-104 win to even the series at two games apiece. Advertisement Indiana seemed to have control of the game in the second half and led 87-80 after three quarters. However, a 31-17 fourth quarter has now ensured that the Pacers will have to win another game on the road in Oklahoma City if it wants to win its first NBA Championship. After the game, NBA fans took to social media in disbelief that the Pacers let such a golden opportunity slip away. For much of the third quarter, Oklahoma City seemed to be on the ropes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked worn down, Chet Holmgren was banged up after rolling his ankle in the first half, and the Thunder offense was not clicking and flowing like it had been all season long. Advertisement The script flipped in the fourth quarter. Alex Caruso came in off the bench and made a number of massive plays on both ends of the floor to get OKC back in the game. Then, in crunch time, Gilgeous-Alexander got to his spots and hit big shot after big shot to keep the Thunder offense going. On the other end of the floor, the Indiana offense completely lost its identity. The ball stopped moving, the possessions got stagnant and the Pacers stopped generating good shots. As a result, they scored just one point in the last 3:20 of game time while the Thunder ran away with the victory. Now, the Pacers have to go back on the road and get a win either in Game 5 or Game 7, or potentially both, in order to get their hands on the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Indiana already got one win away from home in this series, but it took a game-winning shot in a game that it did not lead until the final second in Game 1. Replicating such a feat will be very difficult, especially after taking the gut punch that is this loss. However, if any team can do it, this Pacers team has shown that it can get back up off the mat after just about anything. Advertisement Related: Stephen A. Smith claps back at haters for Pacers-Thunder Game 4 Solitaire picture Related: Pat McAfee delivers WWE-style promo during Pacers' Game 4 clash vs. Thunder
