Latest / Bleacher Report / Chuck & GameTime Crew Talk Thunder Game 4 Win vs. Pacers to Tie the Series _ 2025 NBA Finals
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: The Thunder have tied up the twenty twenty five NBA Finals.
- 0:03Speaker 2: At two games apiece.
- 0:05Speaker 1: As we walk in yet to game time live at
- 0:07Speaker 1: the Finals presented by State Farm, with the Hall of
- 0:10Speaker 1: Famer Charles Barkley, three time WNBA Champion, Kennis Parker, Hall
- 0:14Speaker 1: of Famer Grand Hill, I'm Jared Greenberg, many guests including
- 0:17Speaker 1: Shake Gildes, Alexander right here live on set. We'll hear
- 0:20Speaker 1: from the coaches and players at the podium. Let's start
- 0:22Speaker 1: with your thoughts here. We all kind of agreed before
- 0:25Speaker 1: the game the winner of this Game four would go
- 0:27Speaker 1: on to win the title. What did you see that
- 0:30Speaker 1: was different down the stretch, Charles in the fourth.
- 0:32Speaker 3: Quarter, Well, I thought that the big winner the night
- 0:35Speaker 3: was Caruso. I thought he was a difference in the game.
- 0:38Speaker 3: I know Shay's gonna get a lot of love and
- 0:40Speaker 3: he deserves it. Well, we were wondering who were going
- 0:42Speaker 3: to join the party. Kendis give us some blops. She said, matthin,
- 0:46Speaker 3: I don't think he can play like that again, And
- 0:48Speaker 3: he did not play like that again. McConnell didn't get
- 0:51Speaker 3: all those steals. We wondered who was up on Okca's
- 0:54Speaker 3: Ben's gonna step up a lot of love. Jalen Williams
- 0:57Speaker 3: played well, Ay Shade. Did you know we talk about
- 1:01Speaker 3: all the time your star is supposed to be your closer,
- 1:03Speaker 3: not your starter. And to the middle of the game
- 1:06Speaker 3: at Big three he hit and the travel he got
- 1:09Speaker 3: away with. Those were the two biggest players game. But
- 1:12Speaker 3: I thought the player of the game was Caruso.
- 1:15Speaker 4: You know, going into the fourth it seemed like it
- 1:18Speaker 4: was the Pacers ball game, right, And I feel like
- 1:22Speaker 4: in moments like this it comes down to crucial plays.
- 1:25Speaker 4: There were huge missed free throws down the stretch. You
- 1:29Speaker 4: talk about back to back free throws by Obi Toppin,
- 1:32Speaker 4: you talk about live ball turnovers at the top of
- 1:34Speaker 4: the key with Tyrese Halliburton. So I think momentum shifted
- 1:39Speaker 4: in that fourth quarter. The ball was in SGA's hands
- 1:42Speaker 4: because he was you know, he didn't have to bring
- 1:45Speaker 4: it up all games.
- 1:46Speaker 2: So let's give it to j Dubb.
- 1:47Speaker 4: J Dubb got them there, Caruso kept them there, and
- 1:50Speaker 4: SGA took them home.
- 1:51Speaker 1: And by the way, Matherin missed those three consecutive free
- 1:54Speaker 1: throws as well.
- 1:55Speaker 5: But it comes down to end the game situations. And
- 1:58Speaker 5: you know, Okac did everything right, particularly in the defensive end.
- 2:03Speaker 5: There were three or four possessions defensively as they were
- 2:06Speaker 5: making their run and gaining momentum where Indiana got nothing.
- 2:10Speaker 5: And this is a team that's a high powered offense,
- 2:12Speaker 5: a team that has executed well throughout the postseason in
- 2:16Speaker 5: close games. Indiana was rattled. They were confused, they were
- 2:20Speaker 5: out of sorts. So the defense of Okac with Stella
- 2:24Speaker 5: and of course he just said, Sga down the strap.
- 2:26Speaker 5: I thought Nie Smith fouling out yep, it really hurt
- 2:29Speaker 5: them and Matherin had to play miss those free throws.
- 2:32Speaker 5: They also had two really bad fouls and anyway, just
- 2:37Speaker 5: pour into game situation disappointing for Indiana, and I worry.
- 2:40Speaker 5: We talked about who wins Game four is going to
- 2:43Speaker 5: probably or maybe win this thing. How does Indiana emotionally
- 2:48Speaker 5: recovery not from a loss like this where you had
- 2:50Speaker 5: the game one and you.
- 2:51Speaker 3: Gave it away and number one they gave it away,
- 2:55Speaker 3: And I thought you started different between a all star
- 2:58Speaker 3: guys and really good players on a superstar. Shaye bought
- 3:03Speaker 3: this thing home. They're like, yo, big fellow, bring us home.
- 3:06Speaker 3: And I have no idea what the pacer doing on
- 3:08Speaker 3: the offensive end. Me and Grant were going crazy, like, yo, man,
- 3:12Speaker 3: get a ball to Siakam. He's your best one on
- 3:15Speaker 3: one player. They didn't Eve run a play them. They
- 3:17Speaker 3: had other guys trying to make plays. I'm like, no, no,
- 3:20Speaker 3: get his ball to Siakam. You know, ok C like, hey, Shaye,
- 3:23Speaker 3: bring us home. But it was so frustrating because Grant,
- 3:29Speaker 3: we can say all we want to about Oklahoma City.
- 3:31Speaker 3: The Pacers blew this game.
- 3:33Speaker 5: Well you said it best of aballak Siakam was still
- 3:35Speaker 5: the leading scorer, and I don't think it took a
- 3:37Speaker 5: shot in the last seven eight minutes of the game.
- 3:39Speaker 2: He took one shot in the entire fourth quarter. It's
- 3:41Speaker 2: o for one.
- 3:42Speaker 6: But listen, man, he.
- 3:43Speaker 4: Was hanging out in the corner a lot of time
- 3:46Speaker 4: do that.
- 3:46Speaker 3: But let me tell you some man, this is is
- 3:48Speaker 3: gonna hurt This game gonna hurt the patients because they
- 3:51Speaker 3: had this game under control. They were playing well. Uh
- 3:55Speaker 3: that okay. Se was kind of like, okay, we might
- 3:58Speaker 3: be in trouble and then all of a sudden they let.
- 4:01Speaker 6: Him get close.
- 4:01Speaker 4: Chuck, do you know what Big mo is Hey momentum
- 4:06Speaker 4: is a real thing in the playoffs, and I'm telling
- 4:08Speaker 4: you lose a game like this in front of your
- 4:10Speaker 4: home crowd up ten going into the fourth quarter.
- 4:13Speaker 3: But that's why, that's why, that's why I felt like,
- 4:16Speaker 3: whoever won this game the name is gonna win the series.
- 4:18Speaker 3: Now they're gonna go home, and you know, okay, see,
- 4:20Speaker 3: it's a very difficult place to play. They gonna ride
- 4:23Speaker 3: that energy. Uh, they gotta get some more help.
- 4:26Speaker 6: Though.
- 4:26Speaker 3: I will give coach credit though he actually played everybody, Yes,
- 4:30Speaker 3: and he guys in the first quarter, But I have
- 4:34Speaker 3: no idea why he was showing his rotation. Hey, and
- 4:36Speaker 3: let's talk about the elephant in the room, Shaq. I mean,
- 4:42Speaker 3: he's catching strays. He's off already on vacation, he's not
- 4:45Speaker 3: here what He's still a big elephant. But the lineup change,
- 4:50Speaker 3: that was the team, even though when they were losing,
- 4:53Speaker 3: I said, that's the team I saw all year that
- 4:55Speaker 3: I thought would win the title. They played, they started
- 4:57Speaker 3: the two big guys, he played everybody on the bench.
- 5:00Speaker 3: You're the coach credit for saying I was wrong. It's
- 5:06Speaker 3: so hard for coaches because you know, they don't want
- 5:08Speaker 3: to admit they're wrong. He was wrong for chasing that
- 5:10Speaker 3: starting lineup. But now they got their momentum back and
- 5:13Speaker 3: it's gonna be tough on the Pacers.
- 5:14Speaker 4: And they didn't play well, that's the thing. They hung
- 5:17Speaker 4: their hat on their defense in the fourth quarter, only
- 5:19Speaker 4: giving up seventeen points. But if you look down the line,
- 5:21Speaker 4: OKC shot three of seventeen from three point line, and
- 5:26Speaker 4: this is point blake, wide open catch and shoot threes.
- 5:30Speaker 4: I mean you look at Wiggins didn't play well, look
- 5:32Speaker 4: at Wallace didn't really knock down the three. Well, so
- 5:34Speaker 4: those are the role players that are going home and
- 5:37Speaker 4: are gonna feel pretty good going home because.
- 5:39Speaker 3: They got a way. They got away, because.
- 5:42Speaker 6: Man, it looked gloomed for those guys. It looked gloomy
- 5:45Speaker 6: when they were down ten.
- 5:46Speaker 5: I'm like, oh, oh, well, especially you said in this
- 5:48Speaker 5: day and era, this day and age with the three
- 5:50Speaker 5: point shooting, only make three point three three pointers is
- 5:53Speaker 5: one thing. But then I just thought Shay was gritty.
- 5:58Speaker 5: You know, he had officially twelve of twenty four, but
- 6:02Speaker 5: it wasn't an easy twelve field goals. I mean, they
- 6:05Speaker 5: harassed him, they were physical with him. I thought he
- 6:08Speaker 5: was tired there late in the third quarter, played the
- 6:11Speaker 5: whole third quarter and beginning of the fourth.
- 6:13Speaker 6: So he just found a way down the strat.
- 6:15Speaker 5: And that's what great players, that's what Chuck said, superstar
- 6:18Speaker 5: players do, just find a way on the road to
- 6:21Speaker 5: carry your team and hit those two big shots down
- 6:24Speaker 5: the stretch, including this one right here.
- 6:26Speaker 1: Remember he was held to just twenty four points in
- 6:29Speaker 1: Game three and he committed six turnovers.
- 6:31Speaker 2: Certainly had a bounce back. Listen, Charles.
- 6:33Speaker 1: Not only the elephant in the room being the change
- 6:36Speaker 1: in the starting lineup, they made a noticeable change in
- 6:38Speaker 1: the rotation right from the get go Shake Gilders. Alexander
- 6:42Speaker 1: usually plays candas the entire first quarter.
- 6:45Speaker 2: He did not.
- 6:45Speaker 1: He came out about halfway through and then came back in,
- 6:48Speaker 1: and then he played to start the second quarter when
- 6:52Speaker 1: he's usually on the bench, and Halliburton was on the bench,
- 6:54Speaker 1: so they played SGA three less minutes in the first
- 6:57Speaker 1: half to kind of save him for later in the gate.
- 7:00Speaker 4: Well, this is chess, not checkers, and I have to
- 7:03Speaker 4: give it up to coach Dagnall, like this is a
- 7:06Speaker 4: time where you hang your hat on what you've been doing,
- 7:10Speaker 4: your identity of who you are with minor tweaks yep
- 7:13Speaker 4: and SGA having only one day off in between the games.
- 7:16Speaker 4: This is different than the other games as well as
- 7:19Speaker 4: playing forty two minutes then you mix it up. I
- 7:22Speaker 4: think they did a great job of conserving his energy
- 7:24Speaker 4: by having j Dub bring the ball up and and
- 7:27Speaker 4: Caruso bring the ball up, getting him off ball, so
- 7:29Speaker 4: he wasn't having to battle that physicality the whole game,
- 7:32Speaker 4: and then he was able to take you home. But listen,
- 7:34Speaker 4: everyone talks about how calm, cool and collected SGA is
- 7:39Speaker 4: and sometimes people use that against him. I'll tell you,
- 7:42Speaker 4: I think that this team, the reason why they were
- 7:44Speaker 4: able to come out on top in the fourth quarter
- 7:47Speaker 4: is because of that mentality. They stayed with it, They
- 7:49Speaker 4: stayed true to who their identity was, and they trusted
- 7:52Speaker 4: their MVP.
- 7:52Speaker 1: They're now six to oh the Thunder after losses this postseason,
- 7:56Speaker 1: they've not lost back to back games. Obviously, we're again
- 8:00Speaker 1: gonna have some players and we'll hear from the coaches
- 8:02Speaker 1: at the podium, but let's go through some of the
- 8:04Speaker 1: top plays from this game here and show you how
- 8:07Speaker 1: this one went down here in Indiana. With Indiana leading
- 8:10Speaker 1: the series, entering this one two games to one. Pacers
- 8:13Speaker 1: get off to a fast start here, Grant with Tyree
- 8:16Speaker 1: Halliburton again being aggressive and.
- 8:17Speaker 5: Being aggressive worked well for Tyree's coming out, setting the
- 8:20Speaker 5: tone early for the Pacers and it paid off.
- 8:22Speaker 1: Miles Turner with the footback. It was a five point
- 8:25Speaker 1: lead for Indiana. Now Jay Dubb with the response, initiating
- 8:29Speaker 1: the offense and scoring.
- 8:31Speaker 6: Taky did that all night.
- 8:32Speaker 4: He did.
- 8:32Speaker 2: Hey, how about this feed Aaron Wiggins the lou Dort.
- 8:35Speaker 6: That's good defense too, that's just better off.
- 8:37Speaker 4: I was there only three until the fourth quarter.
- 8:40Speaker 2: Pascal Siaka here, that's a good idea.
- 8:43Speaker 6: How about going to that guy in the fourth quarter
- 8:45Speaker 6: when you got the lead.
- 8:47Speaker 2: Siakam had twenty points.
- 8:48Speaker 1: Caruso force with the turnover, and Caruso answers Charles call
- 8:53Speaker 1: of who's gonna step up off the bench?
- 8:55Speaker 6: He has twenty.
- 8:56Speaker 4: Points, SGA. Don't take great greatness for Grant.
- 9:00Speaker 1: Had first half points and no free throws in the
- 9:03Speaker 1: first half of the game.
- 9:05Speaker 6: And then Chuck. They were feeding Siakam that whole first half.
- 9:08Speaker 6: They got going, and they got.
- 9:09Speaker 3: Start, they got away from it, and just especially when
- 9:11Speaker 3: you need it, if the Gayda offense is about Evan
- 9:15Speaker 3: need the basket.
- 9:15Speaker 1: I'm running to play with Seakam every time. Pacers led
- 9:18Speaker 1: it sixty to fifty seven at the half. After that
- 9:23Speaker 1: bucket there by Haliburton, he had eight points five.
- 9:26Speaker 2: Assists over the first two quarters. Let's go to the
- 9:28Speaker 2: third quarter.
- 9:29Speaker 1: More of Siakam, back to straightaway, three connects. Then it's
- 9:39Speaker 1: Halliburton to nemhard and the quarter three.
- 9:44Speaker 2: Then this next stretch I thought was really important. Guys,
- 9:46Speaker 2: Obie Topping took over.
- 9:48Speaker 6: He did.
- 9:49Speaker 3: He had two back to back threes and you think, like, man,
- 9:52Speaker 3: you gotta feel pretty good.
- 9:54Speaker 6: Yep.
- 9:54Speaker 1: Then he had Then he had a block after the
- 9:56Speaker 1: three on Jay Dubb. Tremendous ca of moments for Topping,
- 10:02Speaker 1: and then Topping responds with this. After that block on
- 10:06Speaker 1: the offensive end, they reward them granted.
- 10:08Speaker 5: And right now you just start to worry, Okase, Indiana's
- 10:12Speaker 5: getting that momentum.
- 10:13Speaker 6: It didn't look good. It just jumps it.
- 10:15Speaker 1: Remember up by ten, Indiana was and they're nine to
- 10:18Speaker 1: one entering this game.
- 10:19Speaker 2: In the clutch, there was.
- 10:21Speaker 3: Two big offensive rebounds shot chev Houlngren that were huge.
- 10:24Speaker 1: And by the way, for the first time this series.
- 10:26Speaker 1: We saw the double big lineup in the fourth quarter
- 10:29Speaker 1: for the Thunder and that.
- 10:30Speaker 4: Contributed to the twenty three second chance points that the
- 10:33Speaker 4: Thunder were able to do, and they dominated the paint.
- 10:36Speaker 3: So you mean they asked have played the two big
- 10:38Speaker 3: guys before rid Albert tried to change it. Though.
- 10:42Speaker 1: Look at that right there offensive glass more second chance
- 10:44Speaker 1: points as Ken just talked about. Here from SGA ties
- 10:47Speaker 1: the game at ninety seven, so they've erased the double
- 10:50Speaker 1: digit deaths in.
- 10:51Speaker 3: But this is when their offense got all stagnant. I mean,
- 10:54Speaker 3: that was the only easy layup they got, but they
- 10:56Speaker 3: were so stagnant down the stretch. But this three right here,
- 11:01Speaker 3: that that was a huge SGA from downtown in this.
- 11:05Speaker 6: Like I say, he lucky got away with a travel.
- 11:09Speaker 1: SGA thirty five points, five thirty point games in his
- 11:13Speaker 1: last six postseason contest.
- 11:16Speaker 6: Oh man, that might have been an offensive fall too.
- 11:20Speaker 6: One oh four.
- 11:21Speaker 2: Oh call that a travel chuck.
- 11:22Speaker 5: That's not a traveling. They don't call that.
- 11:24Speaker 4: That's a gather.
- 11:27Speaker 2: Your serious, that's a gather.
- 11:28Speaker 6: Well, he traveled his luggage and traveled.
- 11:31Speaker 1: So we've got a lot to talk about with Shay
- 11:33Speaker 1: Gilders Alexander as he scored Okacs fifteen of their final
- 11:37Speaker 1: sixteen points. SGA went eight for eight in the fourth quarter.
- 11:42Speaker 1: We always talk about superstars in these moments. Obviously it
- 11:46Speaker 1: would have put the Thunder on the brink of elimination
- 11:48Speaker 1: had they lost this game tonight. So, Charles, what did
- 11:51Speaker 1: you see from the regular season MVP tonight?
- 11:54Speaker 3: The reason he won MVP like he closed tonight, and
- 12:00Speaker 3: whether he's tired or he had a bad game last game,
- 12:03Speaker 3: he made all the plays down the stretch and that's
- 12:06Speaker 3: what guys are supposed to do because that three was huge,
- 12:10Speaker 3: and then obviously he made the other basket after that.
- 12:12Speaker 3: But man, the guy won MVP. He deserved it. But
- 12:15Speaker 3: he was fabulous down the stretch. Like I said, I'm
- 12:18Speaker 3: gonna give some flowers to Jalen Williams. Was fantastic. But
- 12:21Speaker 3: to me, the difference in the game was Caruso. He
- 12:24Speaker 3: kept them in the game with his defense and his energy.
- 12:27Speaker 3: That to me was the difference. Well, I think you're
- 12:30Speaker 3: right with SGA. Not only did he close well, I
- 12:32Speaker 3: think he started the game well. He wasn't hunting his
- 12:35Speaker 3: shot and I think at the end of the first
- 12:37Speaker 3: quarter might have had four points. Others were getting involved
- 12:40Speaker 3: Jalen Williams as well. So being able to sort of
- 12:43Speaker 3: sort of read the game and save your best for
- 12:46Speaker 3: the you know, for the fourth quarter when your team
- 12:48Speaker 3: needed it the most. And you're right, I mean, Alice Caruco,
- 12:51Speaker 3: you look at the numbers. He scored twenty points, but
- 12:53Speaker 3: his energy deflection steals just the confidence and the toughness
- 12:59Speaker 3: that he brings to the you know, it spread and
- 13:02Speaker 3: his impact was huge, and you know.
- 13:05Speaker 6: He was great.
- 13:06Speaker 4: You know, I think in these situations the margin for
- 13:08Speaker 4: error is very small.
- 13:10Speaker 2: You need those little plays.
- 13:11Speaker 4: And I understand we're going to talk about Sga bring
- 13:14Speaker 4: him home, but let's give some love to chet Holmgren.
- 13:16Speaker 4: Can you look at him? A dominant fourteen points, fifteen rebounds,
- 13:21Speaker 4: four offensive rebounds, and it was they were momentum killers.
- 13:25Speaker 4: So his offensive rebound, the ball was off the glass,
- 13:27Speaker 4: he went up got it. So, like I said, twenty
- 13:29Speaker 4: three second chance points. The thunder doing a good job
- 13:31Speaker 4: of dominating the paint. They didn't knock down the three tonight,
- 13:34Speaker 4: but they had fifty paint points to the Pacers thirty six.
- 13:37Speaker 5: And Candice, I'm glad you brought up home Gren because
- 13:39Speaker 5: not only did he do a great job on offensive
- 13:41Speaker 5: class and make some big plays, I thought that last
- 13:44Speaker 5: three or four minutes when they switched, and now he's
- 13:47Speaker 5: guarding smaller players. His perimeter defense, which I thought he
- 13:52Speaker 5: struggled with with most of the.
- 13:53Speaker 6: Game, and maybe his ankle.
- 13:54Speaker 5: I know he sprained it and rolled it a couple times,
- 13:57Speaker 5: but his defense on those possessions one on one with
- 14:01Speaker 5: the smaller guards, not fouling, not allowing them to turn
- 14:05Speaker 5: the corner. I thought that was an underrated point on
- 14:07Speaker 5: his part. That really sealed it day. And he did
- 14:09Speaker 5: it with a sprained ankle. Remember he turned his ankle too.
- 14:11Speaker 5: Of those last few moments he came back and played
- 14:14Speaker 5: and let's so let's go ahead and get it.
- 14:15Speaker 2: Shouldn't they sprayed he turned his ankle.
- 14:17Speaker 3: Let's get a coach his credit too. Like you know what, guys,
- 14:20Speaker 3: I screwed up.
- 14:21Speaker 6: I was wrong.
- 14:22Speaker 3: And that comes back to your point about points in
- 14:26Speaker 3: the paint offensive rebounds because when they were playing that
- 14:29Speaker 3: small lineup, check is playing against a bigger guy and
- 14:32Speaker 3: he made him not getting there and so those offensive rebounds,
- 14:36Speaker 3: but they give the coach a lot of credit. Man,
- 14:39Speaker 3: it's hard to admit you're wrong. And when he changed.
- 14:42Speaker 3: We talked about it last last last time we were
- 14:44Speaker 3: on the air. Do you I think you say you
- 14:46Speaker 3: think they're gonna change your lineup? I says what they should,
- 14:48Speaker 3: but I don't know if they're going to because coaches
- 14:50Speaker 3: never wont to admit they're wrong. I'm gonna get a
- 14:53Speaker 3: coach's flowers. You know what, guys, I was wrong. Let's
- 14:56Speaker 3: go back to the team we were and also to
- 14:58Speaker 3: pick it back on some Grant said the last time
- 15:01Speaker 3: we were here, got to play them dudes. Man, you
- 15:04Speaker 3: got to play them dudes. Your advantage And what was
- 15:07Speaker 3: the founder on the bench points?
- 15:09Speaker 1: It was thirty six to twenty seven. Indiana still won
- 15:12Speaker 1: their bench points a.
- 15:13Speaker 3: Lot closer, a lot closer, and they didn't what the
- 15:17Speaker 3: most interesting thing with Candis said, I don't even think
- 15:21Speaker 3: they played well yet.
- 15:22Speaker 2: Right, Well, they didn't shoot the ball well at all.
- 15:24Speaker 3: They well, I'm saying this was the first time I
- 15:28Speaker 3: saw the real OKC thunder when they were playing ten guys,
- 15:32Speaker 3: eleven guys. They playing athletic guys everywhere, right, the big
- 15:36Speaker 3: big I mean, because man, if you think about it,
- 15:40Speaker 3: when they put them to big dudes out there with
- 15:41Speaker 3: Jalen Williams and shape, that's a big team. They should
- 15:45Speaker 3: dominate on rebounding in the paint. But good job by
- 15:48Speaker 3: coach for meant
- 15:48Speaker 6: He was wrong.