Oklahoma has done a lot of good since the first day of this season, but it could all go down the drain in Indianapolis.
When the going got tough, Shai Gilges-Alexander once again showed why he was the MVP, scoring 15 of his team's 16 points (eight free throws) in the final four and a half minutes and tying things back to square one in the NBA Finals - 2:2.
OKC survived the "yellow hell" and a two-point deficit and returned the series to its "Pejkom Center" with a big win of 111:104.
"He definitely showed who he is tonight," Oklahoma coach Mark Degnolt briefly commented on the Canadian master's performance.
SGA was the most efficient, scoring 35 points, and in the winning team he was followed by Jaylen Williams with 27 points, Alex Caruso with 20 and Chet Holmgren with 14 points and 15 rebounds.
"We desperately wanted to triumph and that's why we won in the end," said the MVP.
The Pacers started the match better from the start, and after Obie Toppin's dunk near the end of the third quarter, they had their first double-digit lead in the series (86:76). And then, just when it seemed that Oklahoma was finished and that with a 3:1 deficit, everything was practically gone, OKC came back.
With a 13:3 run, the Thunder tied the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter (89:89), and after hard-hitting points from Gilges-Alexander with less than two and a half minutes left, they took the lead for the first time in the second half (104:103).
They knew how to maintain their lead until the end.
"We wanted to win. I think we played well enough at certain moments, but unfortunately we didn't have the chance," said Pascal Sjakam.
He was the best player for Indiana with 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals - Tyrese Halliburton added 18 points and seven assists, and Topin had 17 points.
It's time for another match in Oklahoma, and the game will be played on the night between Monday and Tuesday.
Bonus video:
