By James Mario Ajero
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proved once again that he is hands down the best player in this NBA Finals series – and no, it’s not up for debate.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s gritty 111–104 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 means Gilgeous-Alexander has a tremendous chance to lead his team to a pivotal 3-1 lead when the series returns at the Paycom Center.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The morale boost that the victory at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse brought for the Thunder cannot be overstated as it allowed OKC to capture a favorable position against a Pacers team that has managed to break expectations from mainstream basketball experts.
Though many have foreseen that OKC is too tall and efficient for Indiana to defeat, these advantages were particularly evident in Game 4 when the Thunder outworked their opposition up to the last minute.
Gilgeous-Alexander silenced the loud Pacers crowd with a Jordan-esque performance in the fourth period, scoring 15 of his 35 points in the final minutes of the game.
With Gilgeous-Alexander at the helm, he shot a 14-foot jumper to give the Thunder the lead, 104-103, with 2:23 left on the clock.
Aside from his three rebounds and three steals, this 26-year-old star went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, highlighting his elite scoring ability.
On the defensive end, twin towers Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein were sent back onto the court in the crucial minutes of the fourth to clog the paint and tag off the boards.
Jalen Williams, meanwhile, collected 27 points and grabbed seven rebounds, backing up Gilgeous-Alexander to keep the Pacers’ defenders busy.
The game also marked Alex Caruso’s best performance in the playoffs, erupting with 20 markers anchored on an impressive 7-of-9 (77.8%) offensive rating.
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Indiana Pacers
For Indiana, Game 4 was a gut-wrenching loss that could undo the wonders the Pacers worked in earlier games.
The Pacers’ resolute fourth-quarter gameplay was nowhere to be found as the Thunder staged a 12-1 run that erased their seven-point lead going to the last period.
Indiana’s stagnant offense led to the Pacers being thoroughly beaten late in the game, with OKC outscoring them by 14 points, 31-17.
“You’re up seven at home you’ve got to dig in and find a way and we were not able to do it tonight,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said, as quoted by Agence France-Presse.
“But give them credit. They kept attacking, kept attacking, and their defense was great down the stretch,” he added.
Tyrese Haliburton, who scored 18 points, admitted that he needs to do better in orchestrating his team’s gameplay.
“I’ve got to do a much better job of keeping pace in the game,” he said.
On the brighter side, Obi Toppin was the Pacers’ best player in the game, scoring 17 points from the bench.
He was the only Pacers player to exceed the 50% efficiency rate, going 7-of-12 from the field.
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Shameeka Voyiya 
Newsjustnews writers 
Ren Azrack Escosio