Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drops 35 as Thunder come from behind to tie the Finals

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
New Locked on #Thunder Podcast:
🏀 OKC STEALS Game 4
🏀 SGA DOMINATES The 4th
🏀 Jalen Williams opened things up
🏀 Thunder in the clutch
🏀 Caruso helps save the season
#ThunderUp #FirstListen:
linktr.ee/LockedOnThunder pic.x.com/2FPVpeLAXN – 2:01 AM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
SGA on Jalen Williams: “He was special tonight. He’s been really good the last couple nights. It’s been impressive to see his growth on this stage at his age.
He can carry the load, he can be the second fiddle, he can play defense, he can guard your 5.
He was amazing tonight.” – 12:45 AM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
SGA on Lu Dort’s defensive impact: “He was a catalyst for our come back.” – 12:44 AM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
SGA on Alex Caruso: “He’s a winner. To put it all into one word. He does whatever it takes any given night.
I’ve said this before: he has a championship ring for a reason.
Big time performer. Big time teammate. Big time winner..
We’re lucky to have him.” – 12:43 AM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
SGA: “Winning, especially at this time of the season, it comes down to moments..
I relish those moments. I love those moments, good or bad. When I was a kid, I’d count down the clock for those moments and now I get to live them.” – 12:41 AM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
SGA on if he felt relief after the win tonight: “Not so much, personally..
We still have so much work to do.. We’re halfway there.” – 12:39 AM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander “Personally, I’d much rather win than lose” – 12:39 AM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
SGA on winning the 4th quarter for the first time in this series:
“Winning any quarter for us looks like us getting stops. That’s first and foremost. – 12:38 AM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: “I tried to be aggressive. I knew what it would be looked like if we lost tonight.
I didn’t want to go out not swinging..
The guys deserve that much from me. The coaching staff deserves that much from me.” pic.x.com/GOezx7LSgY – 12:37 AM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on what changed for him in the 4th tonight with the season on the line “I knew what it would look like if we lost tonight. I didn’t want to go out not swinging.” – 12:37 AM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Chet’s face when @joe_mussatto asked him about SGA scoring 15 of OKC’s last 16 points down the stretch: 😳😳😳
“I didn’t know that but that’s crazy.” – 12:15 AM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 4
35 PTS
12-24 FG
10-10 FT (mostly intentional)
3 STL
1 BLK
15 points in the 4th quarter.
pic.x.com/o92fkaDOGO – 12:01 AM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a postseason career high 15 4th quarter points tonight in Game 4.
He had only 2 games in regular season with 15+ 4th quarter points:
– January loss against Mavericks
– 16 points in a double-digit comeback win the day after Christmas… in Indiana. – 11:57 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
The Indiana Pacers missed all eight of their fourth quarter 3s. That’s the most missed 3s without a make in the fourth quarter by the Pacers all year, regular and postseason.
The only made 3 in the fourth quarter by either team was made by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. – 11:51 PM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Mark Daigneault on SGA: “He’s unreal obviously.. He was outstanding.” – 11:45 PM

Zach Kram @zachkram
SGA currently has zero assists. He hasn’t finished any game without an assist since the bubble, five years ago. – 10:53 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Great job by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander jumping the entry pass and getting the steal, Chet Holmgren cleans up an SGA miss on the other end, Indiana timeout up 3. – 10:49 PM

Rob Perez @WorldWideWob
Shai misses one more of these mid-range pull-ups and Kevin Durant is walking out of the tunnel wearing his blue 35 accompanied by David Stern. – 10:48 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
OKC has responded to adversity all season, they have gotten off the mat a lot after taking punches. This lead feels larger than 7 for Indiana but it is still just 7. Winning ugly is better than losing pretty. OKC can save its season with the next 12 minutes, SGA starts the 4th. – 10:45 PM

Stephen Noh @StephNoh
Nembhard taking two Shai shoulders to the chest and not getting bumped off. Impressive stuff. pic.x.com/5dXuk8X9sm – 10:29 PM

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
The SGA vs. Nembhard matchup has been fun to watch 🍿
📺 #NBAFinals Game 4 LIVE on ABC pic.x.com/aMTYO9Cvf8 – 10:25 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Pacers land back to back punches, to close the second and start the third. The Thunder have to dig in. SGA’s unreal mid-range baseline step back might do the trick of steadying things for OKC. – 10:15 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Would have liked to see Chet Holmgren cut quicker behind that play for SGA to be able to find him with two at the nail on SGA. That should be there for OKC as the game goes on. Just opened up too late as SGA was rising up. – 10:13 PM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
Only 6 assists on OKC’s 20 FG’s. SGA is a minus-11 in his 18 minutes. He has to put a stamp on this game – 10:05 PM

Kenny Beecham @KOT4Q
Is Shai sick or…? – 9:58 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
The Pacers are outscoring the Thunder by 12 points when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the floor.
Thunder actually outscored the Pacers by 9 in the 5:39 that Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bench in first half. – 9:57 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at halftime:
18:21 (fewest in a first half since Game 6 at Denver 29 days ago)
Zero assists (first time since February 10)
Zero free throw attempts (first time since April 6) – 9:55 PM

Scott Agness @ScottAgness
Pacers close the half with an 8-2 burst to lead after 1 and now after 2: 60-57.
It was a disruptive first half, plenty of fouls and reviews. Siakam has 14, one of seven Pacers with 5+ points. They’re 7-19 from 3. SGA kept to 12pts, 0 FTAs.
Teams shot 30 FTAs combined. – 9:52 PM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
A flurry to end the half puts the Pacers up 60-57. Siakam with 14. Jalen Williams with 16. SGA with a quiet 12 – 9:50 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
That is a really good second contest by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the shot just went in, which happens. OKC has to find a way to finish this last 1:20 strong. – 9:47 PM

Scott Agness @ScottAgness
McConnell just looked down SGA — the MVP — beat him off the dribble and scored. Incredible confidence.
TJM already with 8pts in 10mins. Haliburton at the scorer’s table. – 9:22 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Great footwork on that last Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bucket. The Thunder tied it up. – 9:16 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Obviously every stretch is important, but you have to capitalize on this start of the second quarter if you are OKC. SGA sat earlier in the 1st to be able to start the 2nd down 1, has to be a run for the Thunder. – 9:14 PM

Zach Kram @zachkram
The Pacers shot the lights out, the Thunder were sloppy and lacked offensive rhythm, and SGA was invisible … yet OKC’s only down by 1 after the first quarter – 9:12 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Love Mark Daigneault pairing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Hartenstein together coming off the bench, Hartenstein just opens up a lot for him and this Thunder offense with his screening esp. but also his passing. – 9:07 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
This is the first time in TEN games that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is resting in the first quarter – 9:01 PM

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
“We need you, get up!”
SGA being a vocal leader 🗣 #NBAFinals pic.x.com/dSqTdl6EGj – 8:55 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Thunder doing a good job of having other guys like Jalen Williams bring the ball up to take some of the pressure off of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. – 8:54 PM

Bobby Manning @RealBobManning
Pacers defense is HUMMING early. All over Shai. – 8:42 PM

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
SGA. GAME 4. LOCKED IN.
📺 #NBAFinals LIVE ON ABC pic.x.com/022I2K9WNy – 8:39 PM

Anthony Slater @anthonyVslater
The Thunder is moving back to their double big starting lineup for Game 4.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Lu Dort
Jalen Williams
Chet Holmgren
Isaiah Hartenstein – 8:04 PM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Thunder starters vs Pacers
SGA
Dort
JDub
Chet
Hartenstein
Double bigs are back.
NBA Finals
Game 4 – 8:01 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Thunder Starters Game 4:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Lu Dort
Jalen Williams
Chet Holmgren
Isaiah Hartenstein – 8:01 PM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
You’ve never seen a worse turnover game from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander prior to Wednesday night
Related: Thunder’s ball control was as bad as it was all playoffs in Game 3 at Indiana @TheAthletic
nytimes.com/athletic/live-… – 7:26 PM

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
“It’s the Canadians. … Andrew Nembhard and SGA.”
@windhorstespn details which matchup has the potential to dictate the NBA Finals series pic.x.com/HRrHEULsHU – 3:27 PM

Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
“Shout out to the father and son who let me tagalong with them as they walked to the arena.. Robert and Michael had nothing but praise for OKC, SGA and Sam Presti.”
My Indy road trip blog/Buc-ees jerky review/Finals analysis:
dailythunder.com/thunder-journa… – 2:12 PM

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
“If you look at their last game, SGA looked tired. That last layup that Siakam got, he didn’t even attempt to go at that last layup and for me that says fatigue.”
@ThisIsUD on how the quick turnaround impacts the Thunder heading into Game 4. pic.x.com/mUp16Liwud – 12:53 PM

Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. … pic.x.com/khCTVJ6xca – 11:11 AM

Bill Reiter @sportsreiter
Friday show! Reiter Than You is live on the @InfSportsNet from 10-noon ET: Jets rising, .400 tracker, Pacers’ SGA gameplay, a Thibs theory, @BradyPoppinga, Buy or Sell, an, NFL wildcard, Bum Of The Week, @Ryan_Hickey3, more.
LISTEN:
ReiterThanYou.com
@Audacy
@SIRIUSXM 375 – 9:54 AM

StatMuse @statmuse
Finals leaders:
PTS — Shai
REB — Siakam
AST — Tyrese
STL — McConnell
BLK — Turner
FGM — Shai
3PM — Dort
FTM — Shai pic.x.com/xOr1Iryepo – 9:30 AM