In the final quarter of Friday night’s Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander powered the Oklahoma City Thunder and made them look like true championship contenders.
He was electric in the last 12 minutes and made history.
According to NBA.com/Stats, Gilgeous-Alexander’s 15 points in the last five minutes of Game 4 are the most by a player in the last five minutes in a Finals game since 1971.
SGA’s 15 points in the last 5 minutes of Game 4 are the most by a player in the last 5 minutes in a Finals game since 1971! https://t.co/F1GWu2N2Rh pic.twitter.com/zzNbLNLdN9
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) June 14, 2025
His total for the night was 35 points, but it’s those last 15 that will get the most attention.
For much of the game, the Indiana Pacers were firmly in control, and they were minimizing Gilgeous-Alexander in some startling and troubling ways.
He only produced four points in the first quarter, then eight in the second.
Following a third quarter with another eight, it looked like he wasn’t going to heat up like he usually does.
But Gilgeous-Alexander flipped a switch and went at it in the fourth, and the Pacers just weren’t able to keep up.
Indiana looked somewhat shocked as the fate of the game changed quickly, and they were suddenly trailing.
It seemed as though the wind was knocked out of them, and they weren’t able to get back up into a competitive position.
The momentum has shifted, the Thunder seem to have the upper hand, and the series is going back to Oklahoma City.
OKC fans are hoping they see this version of Gilgeous-Alexander for all 48 minutes during Game 5.
If they do, the Thunder will have a very good chance of scoring a much-needed win and getting one step closer to being champions.
NEXT: Mark Daigneault Uses 1 Word To Describe Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Performance
