SGA takes over late as
Thunder tie NBA Finals at 2-2 with tactical
switches
The Oklahoma City Thunder are
built on poise, patience, and principles. So when they found
themselves staring down a 2-1 series deficit against the Indiana
Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals, they didn’t panic. They adjusted,
and they simplified. And then, they unleashed their
superstar.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, already
in the midst of a historic postseason run, delivered another
defining performance in Game 4 – one that swung the Finals and
cemented his status as the alpha on basketball’s biggest stage.
Down late in the fourth quarter, SGA scored or created nearly every
crucial bucket, finishing the night with 35 points, with one
transcendent takeover.
But this wasn’t just about a
scoring outburst. This was high-level basketball IQ, surgical
execution, and coaching precision from Mark Daigneault wrapped into
a four-minute flurry that may ultimately define the 2025 NBA
Finals.
The adjustment that shifted the game, and possibly the
series
With 3:54 left in the fourth
quarter and the Thunder trailing by five, head coach Mark
Daigneault called a timeout. Up to that point, Indiana’s defensive
scheme – centered on Andrew Nembhard defending Gilgeous-Alexander –
had largely held up. Nembhard, who’s known SGA since their
childhood days playing in Canada, was disciplined and physical
without fouling, staying grounded against SGA’s deceptive fakes and
change-of-pace moves.
But Daigneault didn’t
overcomplicate things. Out of the timeout, he made one small yet
powerful tweak: Oklahoma City began actively hunting switches to
get Aaron Nesmith onto Gilgeous-Alexander.
It worked like clockwork. The
Thunder ran repeated ball screens involving Jalen Williams, with
Nesmith as the on-ball defender. Once the switch occurred, SGA went
to work.
What followed was a brilliant
stretch of controlled basketball dominance.
- 3:35
left — SGA attacks Nesmith
off a switch, draws a foul, and calmly sinks two free
throws. - 3:01
left — With Williams
initiating, SGA spaces out on the right wing. Nesmith switches onto
him. One dribble pull-up three. Splash. Thunder cut the Pacers’
lead to one. - 2:23
left — In transition, SGA
motions for an isolation. Williams clears out, Nesmith stays on
him. Stepback fade from the left wing. Money. Thunder take the
lead. - 1:38
left — Thunder run the
same switch at the midpost. SGA attacks again, drawing Nesmith’s
sixth foul – and he’s done for the night.
This was completely broken down
from a video by Steph Noh:
With 3 min 52 sec remaining, Mark Daigneault
called timeout and made the adjustment that won the Thunder Game
4.Nembhard had been guarding SGA extremely well. Thunder used the
same action 3x to get Nesmith to switch, Shai kept scoring/getting
the foul call. pic.twitter.com/6g4GnhA0RU— Steph Noh (@StephNoh)
June 14, 2025
These weren’t just buckets and
free throws – they were calculated, unhurried, and inevitable. And
just like that, the Thunder took control of the game and the
momentum of the series.
Daigneault’s postgame comments
echoed the calmness his team displayed during that decisive run,
which has been the Thunder’s blueprint all season. The Thunder
rarely stray from their core principles. They space the floor, they
move the ball, and they trust Gilgeous-Alexander to dissect
whatever coverage comes his way. But this time, they leaned into
the moment. They fed their MVP the exact looks he needed and let
him take it home.
The beauty of OKC’s late-game
offense was in its simplicity. Instead of running elaborate sets or
off-ball actions, they flattened the floor, used one screener to
create the mismatch, and let their best player read the floor. No
wasted motion and no hesitation, just straight up takeover from
their superstar.
SGA’s Finals legacy is taking shape
Gilgeous-Alexander has now
scored 30+ points in three of the four Finals games, and he’s doing
it efficiently and under control. He’s not just a volume scorer –
he’s manipulating defenses, managing pace, and bending the game to
his rhythm.
Game 4 wasn’t just a highlight
reel of clutch plays. It was a masterclass in reading matchups,
knowing personnel, and executing a plan. There’s a reason why
Indiana put Nembhard on him and not Nesmith. The moment the Thunder
exploited that switch, it turned the game around, and possibly the
series.
And it’s worth remembering: this
is Gilgeous-Alexander’s first trip to the Finals. Yet he plays like
he’s been here before.
– – –
With the series now tied 2-2,
the pressure swings back to the Pacers. They’ve been remarkable all
postseason, and Game 4 was no exception – they executed their game
plan for 44 minutes. But when the game slowed down and turned into
a star duel, SGA stood tallest.
Game 5 looms large. And if the
Thunder keep finding ways to free their MVP, it’s hard to bet
against them.
