NBA Finals Game 4 winners and losers: Caruso’s complete game; Mathurin’s costly minutePortrait of Lorenzo ReyesLorenzo ReyesUSA TODAYSKIPThe Oklahoma City Thunder can do comebacks, too.After erasing a seven-point lead to start the fourth quarter, the Thunder evened up the NBA Finals with a 111-104 victory Friday, June 13, in Game 4.Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA Most Valuable Player, did not record a single assist, but he did drop 35 points, including 15 of the last 16 points of the game. Jalen Williams added 27 and Chet Holmgren posted 14 points and 15 rebounds.Forward Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 20 points, though he did not score in the fourth quarter and took just a single shot in the period.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the fourth quarter ‒ all inside the final 4:38. The Thunder unlocked a way for Gilgeous-Alexander to get going, targeting Aaron Nesmith on switches off of pick-and-rolls, shedding Andrew Nembhard off of him.Gilgeous-Alexander got to the line eight times in the fourth, and he didn’t play rushed — he found his spots and executed. This night, if the Thunder go on to win the Finals, could be a legacy-establishing performance for the 26-year-old.“He’s unreal,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.
Alex Caruso:
He’s known for his defense, but Thunder guard Alex Caruso erupted for 20 points on a hyper-efficient 7-of-9 (77.8%) night. When Gilgeous-Alexander was struggling to find buckets, Caruso lifted Oklahoma City, cutting to the basket, working the baseline for easy looks and finishing with floaters and Euro steps.Yet, as always, Caruso was also a menace on the other end, finishing with a team-high five steals.“I want to win,” Caruso said. “I don’t care if it’s pickup in September before training camp. I don’t care if it’s Game 45, 50, before All-Star break. If it’s the Finals and you’re down 2-1, I want to win. That’s what I’m focused on.”
Obi Toppin provides a spark off the bench
The Pacers seem to get a huge boost from at least one player off the bench each game. Friday night it was Obi Toppin, who was the only Pacer to shoot better than 50% from the floor. He scored 17 on 7-of-12 from the field and also scooped seven rebounds.
Jalen Williams stays aggressive, stacks great gamesOver the past two games, Jalen Williams has 53 points and 13 rebounds. A 23-year-old first-time All-Star, Williams is blossoming into a steady and reliable star. And, when Gilgeous-Alexander was struggling early to get going, Williams was hot, scoring 16 points in the first half.Williams was aggressive throughout, marked by his team-high 11 free throw attempts, which he converted.
LOSERS
They became known for frenetic, improbable comebacks, but Friday night, it was the Pacers who could not finish. Holding a seven-point lead entering the fourth quarter, the Pacers let the Thunder end the game on a 12-1 run. They missed all but one of their last seven shot attempts and their final five. They were outscored in the fourth quarter by 14, a 31-17 margin. Indiana did not make a single 3-pointer in the period.Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 20 points and was hot early. Indiana went away from him, and he took just one shot in the fourth quarter.Coach Rick Carlisle said the offense “got stagnant.” He wasn’t wrong. The ball stopped moving as much, as the Pacers recorded just a single assist in the fourth, after they had dished out 20 in the first three quarters.“I’ve got to do a much better job of keeping pace in the game,” Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton said.Bennedict Mathurin’s final minuteThis was not why Indiana lost the game, but Bennedict Mathurin’s final minute on the floor was brutal. Subbed in with 44 seconds left after Nesmith fouled out, Mathurin missed three free throws — after converting 88.9% previously in the playoffs — but also committed two away-from-the-play fouls before the ball was even inbounded, gifting Oklahoma City free throws and possession.