Thunder got through adversity this season, paid off in Game 4

NBA FINALS

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives as Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) defends during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday in Indianapolis. MICHAEL CONROY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Tim Reynolds

The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY >> The book is called “The Obstacle Is the Way.” It’s a gift that Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault gave to Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein during a trying time this season, knowing the voracious reader would figure out the meaning.

Message delivered.

“I read it and remembered that everything happens for a reason,” Hartenstein said. “And after that, everything worked out great.”

Such has been the story of the Thunder season. Such was the story of Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Faced with the biggest challenge of their season — a 10-point deficit in the second half, staring at a very real chance of the Indiana Pacers grabbing the almost-insurmountable 3-1 lead in the title round — the Thunder, once again, came away saying everything worked out great.

Led by a dazzling and frantic finish from the reigning MVP and scoring champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — who had 15 of his 35 points in the final five minutes or so — the Thunder rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Indiana 111-104 on Friday night. The series is now tied 2-2, heading back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Monday night, and it’s the Thunder who have home-court advantage again.

“That was an uphill game against a great team,” Daigneault said after Game 4 in Indianapolis, simultaneously lauding his team while also raving about the Pacers. “This is one of the best teams in the league in the last couple months, since All-Star break. They’re a hard team to beat here. They’re a hard team to beat, period. I thought we gutted it out on a night when we didn’t have a lot going, especially offensively.”

It was a night when the Thunder made only three 3-pointers and were shooting 45% with about five minutes left before Gilgeous-Alexander got going. He took 11 shots in the final 4:40 — three field-goal attempts, one of them a 3-point try, and eight free throws — and made them all. A perfect finish, on a night when little had gone to plan.

“It’s unbelievable,” Daigneault said. “He really didn’t have it going a lot of the night. He was laboring. We had a hard time shaking him free. For him to be able to flip the switch like that and get the rhythm he got just speaks to how great of a player he is.”

It might not have seemed so to the outside world — those who fixated on things like Oklahoma City’s 68-14 franchise-best record, its 16-game lead over its nearest challenger in the Western Conference standings, a record number of double-digit wins and how all of it was led by the MVP and scoring champion in Gilgeous-Alexander. But the Thunder did, in fact, face some adversity this season.

They played without Chet Holmgren and Hartenstein for a while during the year. There was some flux to the lineup at times. Everybody had some mini-slump along the way.