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The Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second-half of their Game 4 contest on Monday night to tie their series with the Dallas Mavericks at two games apiece, with the final score settling in at 100-96. And as always, it was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way for the Thunder with another big game (34 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST, 14/27 FGM), ensuring they would head back to OKC with the series tied, rather than staring at 3-1 deficit.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored ten of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, including eight straight during a stretch that saw the Thunder finally tie the game after spending the entire second half battling their way back into the game. The final basket in that stretch was an incredible over-the-backboard shot from the baseline, and while it was just another highlight on the night for SGA, he admitted after the game that it was probably not the best look he could have gotten on that possession.
“That was ill-advised, but you just trust your work.” – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, ESPN
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dishes on mindset during Thunder's Game 4 comeback
When you are as good as Gilgeous-Alexander is, you have the freedom to take crazy shots like the one he took late in the fourth quarter of this game. The reason why, as we saw, is because he has the ability to make those shots. It may not have been the greatest idea, but SGA trusts himself to hit whatever shot he puts up, and sure enough, he delivered on that trust in himself with this big make.
The Thunder have frequently found themselves rallying from double-digit deficits throughout the season, so this wasn't exactly uncharted territory for them. Gilgeous-Alexander made sure he was in the right frame of mind when the game shifted to the fourth quarter, though, and it set the stage for his clutch theatrics that ended up resulting in this series getting knotted up at two games apiece.
“Be aggressive, but be smart…There's a balance that you get to find. When to attack, when to pass, when to make the right play, when to not make the right play and trust your skill. It's something that I battle with a lot and try to be really good at, and a lot of great players battle with it and try to be really good at it. But ultimately, it just comes down to, for the most part, taking what the defense gives you and trusting your teammates. You need 'em to win at a high level. That's clear as day, and I want to win at a high level, so I have no option.” – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, ESPN
It wasn't pretty, but Gilgeous-Alexander and company did enough to gut out this huge win to make it a best of three series in which they have home court advantage. Finding a way to come out on top in this series is going to be easier said than done, but with SGA at the controls of their offense, the Thunder have to feel good about their chances to win two of these next three games.
