The underdog Oklahoma City Thunder pushed the mighty Indiana Pacers to the limit. Still, it was a bitter loss following a brutal fourth quarter collapse, where they were outscored 32-18. The Thunder started the last quarter with a five-point advantage but lost their early spark. They missed nine of their last ten shots from the floor.
Even all-star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was stifled, scoring just 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting. His performance plummeted to an all-time low. That was his lowest scoring output since the Game 3 romp of an opening loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. Even during this deeply concerning fourth quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander couldn’t get into the flow. He only scored three points while shooting 1-for-3 and posted zero assists, leading to his first negative AST/TO ratio of the playoffs, with four assists and six turnovers.
The Thunder’s failure to break the Pacers’ full-court pressure came back to bite them. A buzzer-beater on a pull-up three-pointer from Jalen Williams gave Oklahoma City a surprise jitterbug five-point cushion midway through the third quarter. When it counted the most, they crashed and burned. Coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged their shortcomings, stating, “In the fourth quarter, I just thought they really outplayed us on both ends.”
Gilgeous-Alexander emphasized the need for more aggression against the Pacers’ defense, remarking, “They were aggressive. It goes back to a little bit more force.” This sentiment was echoed by teammate Chet Holmgren, who noted, “To win games of this magnitude, at this level, we have to be better.” Holmgren stressed to his team the importance of closing out games with authority. We have to finish games, finish quarters, finish possessions better. It’s not as simple as saying it all comes down to the last moments of the game. We’ve got to find a way to put ourselves in a better position for the entire 48 minutes.
The Thunder’s lack of discipline in this game with unforced errors would follow them much of the series. Williams addressed that issue as well, saying, “We just had a bunch of unforced errors. The squad will be fortunate to have these errors to fix as they move quickly to get ready for their next opponent on the schedule.
This defeat is the second time this year that the Pacers have blown out the Thunder in the fourth quarter. They held their opponents to double digit margins once again. With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Thunder need to recompose themselves in a hurry.
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