NBA Finals Mayhem: How OKC Thunder Stole Game 4 in the Final 5 Minutes!

Gintotski Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder delivered a stunning Game 4 comeback in the 2025 NBA Finals, defeating the Indiana Pacers 111–104 and tying the series at 2–2. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 35-point masterpiece—including 15 in the final five minutes—and Alex Caruso’s incredible two-way performance (20 points, 5 steals), OKC unleashed a brutal 12–1 closing run that flipped the script in Indiana.  This in-depth breakdown dives into every major moment: from Jalen Williams’ early aggression, to Chet Holmgren’s double-double dominance, to the Pacers’ sudden fourth-quarter collapse. We also analyze coaching adjustments, game strategy, and what lies ahead in Game 5. Can Rick Carlisle fix Indiana’s clutch-time issues? Will Mark Daigneault lean into his elite defensive core early?  Don’t miss this epic Finals analysis — perfect for hardcore basketball fans and sports strategists.  🔔 Subscribe for more NBA Finals recaps and playoff breakdowns.  #NBAFinals #OKCThunder #IndianaPacers #SGA #Caruso #Game4 #BasketballStrategy #NBABreakdown #GintotskiSports  All footage and media used in this video fall under fair use for news reporting and commentary purposes.

Transcript

00:00On June 14th, 2025, the Oklahoma City Thunder stormed into Gainbridge Fieldhouse and delivered

00:06a resilient performance, securing a 111-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4

00:14of the NBA Finals. With the series now knotted at 2-2, the Thunder reclaimed momentum after a

00:21tough Game 3 loss, demonstrating their capacity to adjust under pressure. The contest became a

00:27battle of endurance, strategy, and execution, culminating in a 12-to-1 closing burst, fueled

00:34by Shai Gilgis Alexander's 35-point masterpiece, 15 of them in the final 5 minutes. That flipped

00:41the evening on its head and reset the pursuit of a Larry O'Brien trophy. Welcome to Jintotsky

00:48Sports, your spot for all things sports. From legendary moments in big-time plays to inspiring

00:54stories and deep dives, we bring you the content that keeps the game alive. If you love sports

01:00as much as we do, hit that subscribe button and let's get into it. The opening stanza unspooled

01:07at breakneck pace. Indiana's 35-34 edge after 12 minutes' mass warning signs. The Thunder

01:14were already 9-for-9 at the foul line, and Jalen Williams' downhill aggression was infiltrating

01:20every possession. While Tyrese Halliburton threaded pocket passes and buried a deep triple Oklahoma

01:27City's response. Headlined by William's six free throws and Gilgis Alexander's slithering drives

01:33kept the margin razor thin. The second quarter, at first glance, felt like Indiana's statement

01:40period. A 10-2 spurt ignited by Pascal Siakam's baseline spin and Obi Toppin's hammered dunk nudged

01:48the margin to eight. Yet the Pacers' frame, a 25-23 win that pushed them to a 60-57 half-time

01:55lead, never felt entirely secure. Siakam bullied his way to 14 first-half points, but Oklahoma

02:02City quietly simplified matters, dumping the ball to Chet Holmgren at the high post and letting

02:08Alex Caruso back-cut for easy layups, ensuring the gap stayed within a single possession run.

02:15The third quarter swung like a pendulum. Indiana still found answers, Miles Turner's pick-and-pop,

02:21Halliburton's scoop layup at 5-0-3. But Mark Danio's decision to downshift into switch-everything

02:28coverage began shrinking driving lanes. The Pacers edged the period 27-24, building an 87-81 cushion,

02:37entering the fourth. Beneath that modest lead, the Thunder's vitality was trending up. Holmgren

02:44already owned a 14-point, 15-rebound double-double, and Caruso had logged five steals while shooting

02:50a blistering seven of nine en route to 20 points. The final period struck like a thunderclap. Caruso

02:58stripped Benedict Matherin at mid-court, sprinted for an and-one, and the Thunder bench erupted.

03:05Minutes later, Gilgis Alexander danced off a reject screen, stepped back over Aaron Nesmith

03:11for three, and Indiana's seven-point cushion dissolved into a 99-99 deadlock with three minutes

03:18left. Over the next 180 seconds, the Pacers shot 148 with three empty trips, while Oklahoma City ripped off the

03:26decisive 12-to-1 run. Williams knifed for a scoop lay-in, Holmgren erased a Siakam drive, and SGA's

03:35high-arching fade at .223 effectively sealed matters. Indiana, so often clutched this postseason,

03:42mustered only one field goal in the final 438, while Oklahoma City iced eight straight free throws

03:49to close out the 111-104 triumph. The Indiana Pacers stepped into game four with a blend of

03:57confidence and momentum. Their greatest strength through the first three quarters remained their

04:02offensive balance, as five players scored in double figures. Halliburton's command of pace and poise

04:09under pressure was evident yet again, while Siakam's physical interior scoring, particularly in the first

04:15half, gave Indiana early control. Bench contributions, especially from Obi Toppin, added verticality and

04:24transition punch. However, game four also exposed a familiar and dangerous weakness. Their fourth

04:30quarter offense once again faltered under aggressive defensive pressure. The ball stagnated, movement off

04:37the ball decreased, and the live ball turnovers, eight of them in the final frame, gave Oklahoma City

04:43exactly what they wanted, a runway to push pace, score and transition, and break Indiana's half-court

04:50structure. The team's signature late-game confidence gave way to hesitancy and their clutch identity,

04:57bolstered by a 10-0 record following losses earlier this postseason, took a serious hit. What lies ahead is

05:05both opportunity and threat. Indiana can reclaim its spacing and motion by integrating dynamic

05:11off-ball screen actions and more creative short-roll decisions through Turner. But if they continue to

05:17misread pressure schemes and allow the Thunder to shrink the floor, their margin for error will vanish.

05:24Indiana's coaching staff, led by Rick Carlisle, will enter game five determined to address the late-game

05:30collapse that cost them game four. Central to their strategy will be recalibrating how their offense

05:36initiate sets under pressure. They are likely to reintroduce layered Spain pick and rolls,

05:43blending Halliburton's vision with Turner's stretch gravity and Matherin's slashing to break down

05:48switch-heavy looks. Expect greater emphasis on early back screens and exit actions for Nesmith to stretch

05:55Oklahoma City's help side, creating deeper rotation windows and restoring the cutting lanes that

06:02disappeared late in game four. Defensively, Carlisle's staff will likely pivot into matchup-specific

06:09containment schemes. One option is reviving a hybrid zone, perhaps a box and one shadowing

06:16Gilgis Alexander with Nesmith while zoning behind him to wall off Holmgren and Williams. Another

06:22emphasis will be shifting help coverage more aggressively in non-SGA lineups, daring Caruso and

06:28Dort to create against length. Key to this will be executing on weak side rotations without

06:34sacrificing closeout discipline, something Indiana failed to do in their final six possessions of game

06:40four. For Oklahoma City, the blueprint in game four was crystal clear. Their strength lies in their

06:48collective defensive versatility, elite guard play and roster balance. Gilgis Alexander delivered when it

06:55mattered most with 15 of his 35 points in the final five minutes, many under immense pressure and over

07:02top defensive contests. Jalen Williams was assertive throughout, providing 27 efficient points while

07:09embracing secondary playmaking responsibilities. Holmgren's interior command and rim presence gave the

07:16thunder protection that allowed their guards to pressure more aggressively on the perimeter. And Caruso's

07:22night, 20 points on seven of nine shooting and five steals, was arguably his finest in an NBA uniform,

07:30cementing him as the x-factor in a finals matchup full of stars. Yet not all is polished. The thunder

07:37allowed Indiana to dictate terms in the first half, surrendering open driving lanes and struggling to

07:44contain early pick and roll actions. Their traditional big lineup, particularly when Holmgren and Hartenstein shared the

07:51floor, showed vulnerability against Indiana's five-out movement. Their opportunity now lies in

07:58pressing their athletic edge earlier, using their most switchable unit for longer stretches and executing with

08:05playoff tempo from the jump. The threat remains that if SGA's workload remains too top heavy, the late game

08:12legs that carry them in-game may not hold under repeated strain. Managing energy systems and diversifying scoring

08:21options will be vital if the Thunder intend to sustain championship-level execution. Oklahoma City, meanwhile,

08:28walks into their own war room with validation in hand. Mark Danio and his staff will aim to establish the energy

08:35and defensive identity from their closing unit earlier in game five. This means extending minutes for the

08:42Caruso-Williams-Dort-Holmgren SGA combination that locked down Indiana's spacing and flipped the final

08:49quarter. Expect to see early zone press concepts, perhaps a 2-2-1 full court look, morph into half court

08:56switching to gum up Indiana's rhythm without surrendering the corners. Offensively, the Thunder will

09:03recalibrate to maximize the movement generated by Williams. Ghost screens, short lifts, and wing curls

09:10will be designed to cause confusion in Indiana's point of attack coverage and open elbow space for

09:16Gilgis Alexander to operate cleanly. Caruso, no longer just an off-ball cog, will be granted green light

09:22freedom when Indiana collapses, as a 77% game for efficiency justifies higher usage as both scorer and

09:31connective passes. Monitoring SGA's stamina will remain central. Resting him in two-minute bursts at

09:38the top of quarters to preserve his burst for crunch time will be part of Oklahoma City's endurance

09:43calculus. Game four underscored how razor-thin the margins are in this finals. Defensive rotations measured in

09:51inches and decisions made under neon pressure. Oklahoma City's fourth quarter vice and Gilgis Alexander's

09:58closing pyrotechnics restored parity, while Indiana's early elegance dissolved amid hurried possessions.

10:06As the stage shifts west for a pivotal game five, the series becomes a best of three where each

10:12schematic tweak Carlyle's late-game counters or Daniel's stamina-driven rotations could tilt the destiny of

10:20June. Whoever perfects 48 minutes of execution, not just 36, is poised to seize the final chapter of this

10:28championship saga.

10:30Thanks for watching Jintotsky Sports. If that video hit home or gave you something to think about,

10:36drop a like and let me know what you think in the comments. Don't forget to subscribe for more stories

10:43that bring the heart of sports to life. Until next time, stay inspired and keep chasing greatness.

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