If you tuned out of Game 4 with eight minutes left, you probably thought the Thunder were cooked. Down six, looking flat, and playing in a Gainbridge Fieldhouse that sounded like it was ready to party like it was 2000, it felt like Indiana was about to take full control of the NBA Finals.

Instead, we got a full-on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander masterclass.

The MVP completely took over. Over the final four and a half minutes, Shai dropped 15 points, most of them in gut-check fashion. Pull-ups, bank shots, calm-as-ever free throws — every time the Thunder needed a bucket, he gave them one. And just like that, a 95-89 Pacers lead flipped into a 111-104 Thunder win.

Now we’ve got a tied series, home-court advantage swinging back to OKC, and a Finals that suddenly feels way more unpredictable. This Thunder group might be young, but they’re not backing down. 

Shai Took Over — and It Changed Everything

You could feel the shift in real time. Down the stretch, with Indiana clinging to a lead and the crowd ready to blow the roof off, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander flipped the game on its head. He didn’t scream. Didn’t gesture to the crowd. Didn’t even really celebrate. He just went to work.

In the final 4:38, Shai scored 15 of his 35 points. There was a step-back at the top of the key, a driving bank shot through traffic, another tough mid-range jumper, and a steady stream of free throws that felt inevitable. He single-handedly yanked the game away from the Pacers and put OKC back in the driver’s seat.

What makes it all the more wild? He didn’t record a single assist. Not one. It was the first time all season — playoffs included — that he finished a game without a dime, and just the second time in NBA Finals history someone dropped 35-plus without one.

Usually, that would raise eyebrows. In this case? It was exactly what the Thunder needed. When your season’s teetering, sometimes the plan is as simple as “go get us buckets.”

And yeah, Shai got to the line too — 10 times, without a single miss. Eight of those came in crunch time. Meanwhile, Indiana left eight points at the stripe. That’s the kind of swing that decides games in June.

Afterward, he kept it low-key as ever:

We played with desperation to the end of the game, that’s why we won.

The Supporting Cast Came Up Huge

J‑Dub Carried the Torch Until SGA Lit It

For most of the night, Jalen Williams looked like the best player on the floor. No exaggeration. The third-year wing was everywhere early, finding seams in the defense, getting downhill, and showing why he’s become such a crucial piece for this Thunder team. He scored 27 points on 8-of-18 shooting and didn’t miss a single free throw, going 11-for-11 at the line.

What made his performance so important wasn’t just the scoring — it was the timing. While the rest of the Thunder offense sputtered a bit early and Shai hadn’t yet shifted into takeover mode, J-Dub kept OKC alive. Every time Indiana threatened to pull away in the first three quarters, it felt like Williams had a response. A cut here, a drive there, maybe a mid-range pull-up to steady the ship. He read the game like a vet.

If he doesn’t do that, the Thunder are in trouble. There’s no dramatic Shai comeback without Jalen’s steadying presence for three quarters.

Alex Caruso, Mister Everywhere‑All‑At‑Once

Remember when people thought the Thunder might’ve given up too much for Alex Caruso? Yeah, that chatter’s pretty much dead now. The guy has been a sparkplug in these Finals. After going the entire regular season without a single 20-point game, Caruso’s now done it twice in this series alone.

In Game 4, he came off the bench with the kind of energy that completely changes the tone of a game. He finished with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, but it was the defense that really left a mark — five steals, one block, and countless possessions where he just blew up whatever Indiana was trying to run. Whether he was jumping passing lanes or poking the ball loose on drives, Caruso played like the dude who knew the opponent’s playbook.

The Pacers looked visibly uncomfortable every time he was on the floor. For a Thunder team that leans on its depth and versatility, having a guy like Caruso playing this well on the biggest stage is the kind of wild-card weapon that can swing a series.

Chet Holmgren’s Quiet Fifteen Boards

Chet Holmgren didn’t have the flashiest stat line in Game 4, but if you watched closely, you saw a dude grinding in the trenches.  He ended the night with 14 points and a monster 15 rebounds, but it was the when and how that mattered most.

In the fourth quarter, when every extra possession felt like gold, Holmgren helped the Thunder own the boards. He snagged a pair of key offensive rebounds late, including one that turned into a huge put-back slam to tie the game at 103.

OKC won the rebounding battle 43-33 and outworked Indiana on the offensive glass in the fourth, 4-1. That’s how you steal momentum on the road when your jumpers aren’t falling. It’s easy to overlook the guy doing the dirty work while everyone’s watching Shai go off, but make no mistake — Chet’s effort was a game-changer.

When the Pacers’ Offense Went Poof

Indiana’s offense has been their calling card all year — fast-paced, pass-happy, full of movement and rhythm. But you wouldn’t have known it watching the fourth quarter of Game 4. Whatever had been working for them just stopped. Completely. The ball stuck, the movement died, and it was brick after brick.

They scored just 17 points in the final 12 minutes, went 0-for-8 from three, and registered a single assist the entire quarter. Bennedict Mathurin had three chances to help out at the free-throw line in the final 30 seconds. He missed all three. It was that kind of night.

Pascal Siakam had a solid stat line — 20 points, 8 boards, 5 assists, 5 steals — but didn’t register much in the way of impact when it mattered most. Tyrese Haliburton, who’s usually the engine, couldn’t find his floater game and finished without much of a stamp on the closing stretch. And the Pacers, who’ve made a habit of finishing games strong all postseason, just ran out of answers. Rick Carlisle called it “a big disappointment.” That’s putting it nicely.

Obi Toppin gave them a huge lift off the bench with 17 points, but that spark fizzled fast once the fourth quarter got tight. And Mathurin — who looked unstoppable in Game 3 with 27 points — looked rushed and out of rhythm in this one. Eight points, two back-breaking off-ball fouls, and missed free throws that left the crowd holding its breath for the wrong reasons.

If the Pacers want any shot at taking back control of this series, they’ve got to find their offensive identity again — and fast. Because when it slips like it did in Game 4, the Thunder aren’t the kind of team that lets you hang around long enough to recover.

Nothing Comes Easy Now

Game 4 didn’t settle anything — we’re still deadlocked at 2-2 — but it definitely told us a lot. For one, the Thunder aren’t just riding talent. They’ve got poise. They’ve got guts. And they’ve got a guy in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who can completely take over a game without ever breaking stride.

Indiana's still right there. They’ve been one of the toughest, most resilient teams all postseason, and they’ve bounced back from rough losses before. But now it’s not just about bouncing back — it’s about adjusting, executing, and proving they can do it again in one of the loudest, most hostile buildings in the league.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com.