Heading into the NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder were arguably the favorites to prevail over the Indiana Pacers. But four games in and Thunder have had to work hard to get the scoreline to 2-2. The Thunder need to be cautious — and Stephen A. Smith, well aware of the Pacers’ threat, has just reminded OKC of exactly that.
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Momentum has swung both ways so far. Indiana took Game 1 thanks to Tyrese Haliburton’s go-ahead game-winner, but OKC responded with a comfortable victory in Game 2. The Pacers then reclaimed the lead, winning 116–107 at home in Game 3.
Smith has boldly predicted that Thunder would have no chance of winning the championship had they lost Game 4. On SportsCenter, Smith issued a blunt warning to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder. “The bottom line is, do you want to win the Finals or not?” he began.
“If you lose tonight’s game, you ain’t winning this series!” he added. Smith was possibly suggesting that OKC won’t be able to recover from a 3–1 deficit.
He also praised Indiana’s bench, which has averaged 40.7 points per game across the first three games of the Finals. In comparison, OKC’s bench has produced just 31.3 points across the series so far. “
There is nothing we’ve seen from Indiana that says they will lose three straight to OKC,” Smith said confidently. “They have got more bench production. Their bench crushed OKC’s 49 to 18 in Game 3. They also outscored them in Game 1 and Game 3—their two victories.”
Smith focused on Gilgeous-Alexander’s impact but emphasized that the MVP needs more support. SGA entered Game 3 averaging 36 points per game.
“He needs some help,” Smith repeated, pointing to OKC’s lack of secondary contributions. While the star guard continues to shine, he can’t win this series alone. Smith also broke down Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle’s strategy. The Hall of Famer has the Pacers pushing the pace to wear down Gilgeous-Alexander over the course of the game.
“Rick Carlisle, a Hall of Fame caliber coach, an champion as a coach, has got the Pacers pushing the ball up the court at the makes. They’re saying, “We are going to wear you down. It’s a 48-minute matchup; you’ve got to show up, and if we tire him out [and make] somebody else step up and produce.”
Smith then questioned OKC’s supporting cast and their inconsistency. “One minute it’s Wiggins. One minute it’s Caruso. It is supposed to be Jalen Williams or Holmgren,” Smith said. “Who the hell is going to do it?”
“Does OKC have anybody else they can trust and rely upon? Indiana is betting that they don’t, and so far, it’s working in this series”, he asked. “Indiana is betting that they don’t, and so far, it is working in this series.”
Indiana’s bench continues to outwork OKC’s, and Carlisle’s strategy has turned each game into a hard-fought grind. If the Thunder’s supporting cast fails to respond, Smith believes the Finals could slip away.
So far, OKC’s secondary contributors have delivered mixed results. Alex Caruso is averaging 13.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Jalen Williams has been more productive, putting up 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.0 steals.
Chet Holmgren, however, has drawn criticism for underdelivering, contributing 13.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and just 1.0 assist per game. The numbers show promise, but not enough consistency to lighten Gilgeous-Alexander’s load.
Neverthless, Game 5 is set to be the most decisive clash of the Finals between two ‘small-market’ franchises, who have still excited fans with their rivalry and competitiveness.
