In one of the tightest games of a Playoffs filled with them, OKC found a way.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
May 27, 2025
Thunder Edge Wolves: OKC’s star trio steps up in crunch time to stave off Minnesota and go up 3-1 in WCF
OKC Answers: How the Thunder withstood a relentless Wolves’ charge
East Finals Frenzy: In a historic postseason, the ECF continue to deliver the unthinkable
KAT’s Moment: Inside Towns’ Game 3 eruption – and the tribute behind it
Pacers Resilience: Can Indy use another Game 4 rebound to take a 3-1 series lead?
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Get your popcorn ready…
After another instant classic in Game 3, Game 4 of the East Finals gets underway tonight in Indy (8 ET, TNT) as Jalen Brunson and the Knicks aim to even the series at 2-2 against Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers.
1. THUNDER STAVE OFF WOLVES TO TAKE CRUCIAL GAME 4
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Eyeing a 3-1 series lead to move within a game of its first Finals appearance in over a decade, OKC’s star trio played as one.
Thunder 128, Wolves 126: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped a Playoff career-high 40 points along with nine boards and 10 dimes, while Jalen Williams scored 34 and Chet Holmgren added 21, powering OKC to a pivotal Game 4 win in Minnesota to claim a 3-1 series lead. | Recap
In the Thunder’s Game 3 loss on Saturday, SGA, Williams and Holmgren combined for a season-low 37 points.
On Monday, they combined for 95 – the most by any Thunder trio ever in a Playoff game – with the Kia MVP leading the charge.
- MVP Company: With the performance, SGA joined Russell Westbrook as the only players in franchise history to post 40/9/10 in a Playoff game
- Special Territory: Only four other players have posted such a statline in a Conference Finals game: Oscar Robertson, Charles Barkley, LeBron James and Devin Booker
- Career Night: Like SGA, Williams’ 34 points were also a Playoff career-high. He also added a postseason-best six 3s (6-9 3pt) while collecting three steals
- Winning Formula: It’s the ninth time SGA, Williams and Holmgren have all scored 20+ points in the same game. In those games, OKC is 8-1
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Trio Takeover: The Thunder never trailed after the 1st quarter, but the Wolves refused to go away, cutting an 11-point deficit to five entering the 4th. But no matter what the Wolves did, SGA, JDub and Chet had an answer.
- Holmgren scored nine of his 21 points in the 4th, including back-to-back buckets to put OKC up nine midway through the quarter
- Williams poured in 14, capped by two triples in the final 3:34 to protect the Thunder’s lead
- Shai added 11, including five free throws in the final 15 seconds to stave off a late Minnesota push
- Closing Statement: In total, the trio scored or assisted on every OKC basket in the 4th and combined for 34 of its 38 points
- That’s the most 4th-quarter points by any trio in a Conference Finals Game since 2002
- “They were amazing tonight,” said SGA on Williams and Holmgren. “They weren’t rattled by the moment … They deserve these moments, and they’re stepping into them with full confidence.”
What’s Next: With the Thunder one win shy of their first Finals appearance since 2012, the series heads back to OKC for Game 5 on Wednesday (8:30 ET, ESPN).
2. OKC ANSWERS: THUNDER STAY STEADY THROUGH THE STORM
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No team’s bounced back better this season than OKC, which entered Monday with an NBA-best 15-2 record following a loss, including a perfect 3-0 mark in the Playoffs.
But after a 42-point defeat in Game 3 – its most lopsided loss of the season – the Wolves came into Game 4 energized, with a chance to tie the series on their home floor.
Instead, the Thunder responded. Again and again and again.
- 9:21 in 2Q: The Wolves use a 9-4 run to cut a nine point deficit to four. OKC responds with a 10-5 counter to push the lead back to nine
- 9:25 in 3Q: Minnesota pops a 9-0 burst to slice an 11-point deficit to two. OKC responds with a 7-0 counter
- 4:26 in 3Q: The Wolves storm back again, reeling off a 13-4 run to erase a nine-point deficit and tie the game for the first time since the 1st quarter. OKC calls timeout, and responds with a 7-0 counter
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In a game that saw no lead greater than 11, Minnesota chipped away repeatedly, splashing 18 3s and getting 64 points off the bench to spark a raucous home crowd and fuel run after run. But OKC always had an answer.
And in the 4th quarter, with the Wolves throwing haymakers, the Thunder struck back to seize control of the series.
- 5:38 Left: After Chet Holmgren’s dunk put OKC up nine, Anthony Edwards (16 pts) and Donte DiVincenzo (21 pts) hit back-to-back 3s to pop the top off the Target Center
- OKC’s Answer? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who quieted the crowd with a smooth turnaround jumper
- 4:34 Left: Jaden McDaniels (22 pts) punches back, drilling another 3 to cut the Wolves’ deficit to two
- OKC’s Answer? A Holmgren dish to Alex Caruso for an easy layup. Then a Lu Dort block on the other end leading to a Jalen Williams 3 – putting OKC back up seven
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The Wolves finished with 41 points in the 4th and even trimmed their deficit to two in the final minute as the teams traded free throws. But OKC never flinched, answering every blow step-for-step – just as they have all season.
That resilience showed up in the numbers, as the Thunder became the first team in Conference Finals history to beat an opponent that made 15+ 3s while shooting over 40% from beyond the arc and over 50% from the field.
- “The guys just battled up,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault postgame. “The shot-making was ridiculous, so for us to overcome that – on the road the way we did – that’s a great team win.”
3. SMALL MARGINS, BIG DRAMA: INSIDE AN EPIC EAST FINALS BY THE NUMBERS
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We’ve never seen a postseason like this one.
Since the NBA began tracking play-by-play data in 1998, there were 2,199 Playoff games through 2024. Just 21 of those games featured a comeback of 20+ points.
That means over 27 postseasons, less than 1% of Playoff games saw such a rally.
The 2025 Playoffs alone have already delivered six – in just 73 games (8.2%) — and we’re not even through the Conference Finals.
- Playoff Pressure: 25 of this year’s 73 postseason games (34.2%) have been decided by six points or fewer – the highest rate since 2019 (36.6%)
- Clutch Heat: There have already been eight go-ahead or game-tying field goals in the final 10 seconds of the 4th quarter or OT. The last time there were nine was in 2018
In a Playoffs packed with endless drama, unforgettable clutch shots and unprecedented comebacks, perhaps no series has captured the chaos better than the East Finals.
- Improbable Indy: In Game 1, the Pacers erased a 17-point deficit to stun the Knicks at the Garden, marking their fourth 17+ point comeback this postseason – the most of any team in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98)
- No Quit NY: After dropping Game 2, the Knicks stormed back from 20 down in Game 3 in Indy, marking their third 20+ point rally this postseason – also the most in the PxP era
- Two Teams, No Quit: The team New York broke the tie with? This year’s Pacers, who’ve come back from 20+ points down twice this postseason
- Road Reversal: All five of the Knicks and Pacers’ combined 20+ point comebacks have come on the road – where the two teams are 3-0 so far this series
A back-and-forth battle riddled with history, the East Finals hasn’t just generated momentous swings – it’s produced razor-thin margins.
Those margins have turned every possession into a pressure cooker. Each of the first three games has been decided by six points or fewer – the first time that’s happened in a Conference Finals since 2009 and just the sixth time overall since 1995.
Of those six series, there’s only one repeat matchup: Pacers-Knicks – first in 1999 and now in 2025.
- “Unpredictable,” said Jalen Brunson when asked to describe the series. “No lead is safe, and both teams are going to continue to fight to the buzzer.”
4. INSIDE TOWNS’ GAME 3 TAKEOVER
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A native of Northern New Jersey, Karl-Anthony Towns grew up a Knicks fan – living no less than an hour from Madison Square Garden.
When New York last reached the NBA Finals, he was just three years old.
26 years later, Towns has put them three wins shy of returning.
- KATalyst: Entering the 4th quarter of Sunday’s Game 3 with the Knicks down 10, Towns had just four points
- Four minutes later, he had 19 and the Knicks were up two – marking their first lead since the 1st quarter
- Total Takeover: The Knicks went on to win the quarter 36-20, with KAT single-handedly matching the Pacers in points (20) while outrebounding them 8-7
- “I just wanted to do whatever it takes to put us in a position to win,” said Towns postgame. “It’s a testament to my teammates, having trust in me and putting me in spots where I can succeed and utilize my talents.”
For Towns – the only player this season to average 24+ points and 12+ rebounds while shooting over 42% from 3 – there are very few spots on the court where he can’t succeed.
And in the 4th quarter of Game 3, with the Knicks needing a spark to avoid a 3-0 hole, his versatility shined.
With Jalen Brunson on the bench in foul trouble, KAT showed off his playmaking, running the floor before zipping a no-look dime to Delon Wright for an easy deuce.
Then he attacked the rack – and turned the tide of the game with a mammoth and-1 poster, punctuating a personal 15-point blitz to put New York up two.
Once the 7-footer got going downhill, he took advantage of his shooting cushion, going 6-of-9 in the 4th and 3-of-4 from 3, including this 31-foot step back to extend New York’s lead.
Towns finished the night with 24 points and 15 boards, joining Dave DeBusschere (4x), Patrick Ewing (2x) and Willis Reed (2x) as only Knicks to record 20+ pts and 15+ reb in a Conference Finals game.
But for the New Jersey native who once dreamed of being a Knick, the moment went beyond the box score.
Sunday wasn’t only Game 3 – it was Dominican Mother’s Day. Towns’ late mother, Jacqueline, who passed in 2020, was a passionate Knicks fan. On her day, Towns delivered when his team needed it most.
- “My mom’s side of the family hit me up and told me they were going to be watching the game with my aunts,” Towns said. “It just meant a lot that I was able to play on a day like today…”
- “Obviously, I didn’t know my mom was expecting a game like tonight, but I’m just happy that this team was able to get a win on her day.”
5. PACERS LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK TO CLAIM 3-1 SERIES LEAD
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These Indiana Pacers know how to respond to challenges.
- On Thanksgiving, they were 9-10
- On Christmas, they were 15-15
- On New Year’s Eve, they were 16-18
But once the calendar flipped to 2025, the Pacers got rolling.
Indiana went 10-2 in January and went 34-14 from Jan. 1 on – the 4th best record in the NBA in that span – to secure the No. 4 seed in the East.
Now, the Pacers are an NBA-best 10-3 in the postseason thanks to their efficient shooting, playmaking and clutch gene. But there’s another form of consistency to their game:
- After Sunday’s loss, they’re now 0-3 in the Playoffs in Game 3s
But Indy has responded to each of its Game 3 losses with Game 4 wins – leaning on the resiliency it’s built all season.
- Finding Their Stroke: The Pacers shot 56% over their two Game 4 victories in this Playoff run (above their Playoff average of 50%) including an effective field goal percentage of 71% in their win over the Bucks
- “There is no tougher-minded team, no more resilient,” Coach Rick Carlisle said of his squad after ousting Milwaukee. “And no more team that believes more.”
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With Aaron Nesmith’s status in question, Carlisle could look toward Bennedict Mathurin and Ben Sheppard to step up in Game 4 as Indy adapts to the Knicks’ deeper rotation.
- Taking It To NY: Mathurin is no stranger to the Knicks, as he scored a career-high 38 points against them in a November win. This season, he’s scored 20+ points 17 times
- Stepping Up: Meanwhile, Sheppard is +40 in his Playoffs career, including +11 this postseason
- “Sheppard’s huge, man,” Nesmith said previously. “When his name is called, he always seems to be ready.”
The Pacers leaned on their depth all season, scoring the seventh-most bench points (39.8 ppg) in the NBA. Now, eyeing a 3-1 series lead, they’ll look for similar production in Game 4.
“We’re a team. It doesn’t matter who scores,” said Pascal Siakam after Game 2. “That’s what I love so much about this team … we just want to win the game. That’s what makes us special.”
