Sign in Subscribe
Professional basketball

Pacers' Game 4 Loss Shifts Momentum in NBA Finals

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Indiana Pacers held a comfortable 87-80 lead heading into the fourth quarter of Game 4 in the NBA Finals, but a collapse on both ends of the court allowed the Oklahoma City Thunder to pull off a 111-104 victory. The loss means the Pacers will have to win at least one more game on the road to win the title, and coach Rick Carlisle acknowledged that his team's inability to secure a win at home was a crucial missed opportunity.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Pacers led by seven points with 12 minutes remaining in the game but were unable to close out the victory, allowing the Thunder to take control in the fourth quarter.
  • The Thunder's ability to outrebound the Pacers (43-33) and convert those opportunities into second-chance points (23) was a key factor in their win.
  • The Pacers' missed free throws (8) were a significant difference-maker, as the Thunder took five more free throws and made nine more.
  • Thunder coach Mark Daigneault described the team's performance as "gutting it out" on a night when they didn't have much going offensively, while Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said his team's inability to secure the win was due to a "lot of little things going on."

Statistics:

  • The Pacers led by seven points with 12 minutes remaining in the game.
  • The Thunder outrebounded the Pacers 43-33.
  • The Thunder converted 12 offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points.
  • The Pacers missed 8 free throws, while the Thunder made 9.
  • The Thunder made 9 more free throws than the Pacers.
  • The series is now tied 2-2, with the Thunder regaining home-court advantage.

Sources:

  • [Jeff Zillgitt, Columnist, USA TODAY]

(Includes no date)

Indiana Pacers needed Game 4. They had Game 4. At least it looked that way for three quarters.

Read more