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Memorable evening, remarkable athlete, unforgettable Playoffs.
Tyrese Haliburton etches his name in history as the Pacers secure a crucial victory in Game 4 in Indianapolis.
**5 TOP STORIES IN TODAY’S ISSUE** 🏀
*May 28, 2025*
**Pacers Defeat Knicks: A standout display leads to a 3-1 series advantage for Indiana**
**Finishing Strong: The Pacers concluded each quarter with a scoring surge to capture Game 4**
**Thunder’s Offensive Surge: Oklahoma City comes off their highest-scoring outing of the postseason**
**Defensive Strategy: OKC’s approach to containing Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle**
**Must-Win Situation: The Timberwolves seek to bounce back as they face elimination**
**BUT FIRST … ⏰**
A spot in the Finals is at stake for the Thunder in Game 5…
Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals starts tonight (8:30 ET, ESPN), with the Thunder just one win away from making their first Finals appearance in 13 years. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves aim to avoid being knocked out.
**1. HALIBURTON’S RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE PUTS PACERS A GAME AWAY FROM THE NBA FINALS**
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Tyrese Haliburton delivered a historic performance that has put the Pacers one win away from the NBA Finals.
Final Score: Pacers 130, Knicks 121. In a stunning display, Haliburton achieved game-highs of 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, and 4 steals while remarkably committing no turnovers, guiding the Pacers past Jalen Brunson (31 points, 5 assists) and taking a 3-1 lead in the series. |Recap|5 Key Takeaways
Haliburton’s record-setting evening kicked off with an impressive first quarter – 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists – making him one of only two players, alongside LeBron James, to accomplish a 15/5/5 statline in a quarter of a playoff game since the play-by-play era began.
In the final quarter, when the Knicks attempted a comeback from a 15-point deficit, it was Haliburton who put an end to their hopes.
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**Remarkable Evening, Remarkable Athlete:** In a league increasingly dominated by guards who prioritize scoring, Haliburton continues to redefine the role by emphasizing playmaking, showcasing extraordinary statistics.
In last night’s game, as the Pacers pursued their first Finals berth since 2000, Haliburton’s influence was palpable—contributing to 51.5% of Indiana’s points, more than half of its assists, and over a third of its rebounds.
But perhaps the most telling statistic reflecting Haliburton’s overall impact is this: Even if you disregard his 32 points, he still stands alone in the record books, as no player has ever achieved 15 or more assists, 12 or more rebounds, 4 or more steals, and 0 turnovers in an NBA game—regular season or playoffs.
Haliburton accomplished this to propel his team five wins away from an NBA championship.
**2. STRONG FINISHES HELP INDIANA SEAL A CLOSE-OUT OPPORTUNITY**
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The Pacers positioned themselves for a potential series win by showcasing four essential elements – Haliburton’s stellar performance ⬆️, Pascal Siakam’s second 30-point game in five days, a series-best 20 points from Bennedict Mathurin off the bench, and their ability to finish strong in quarters.
Before Game 4, the Knicks and Pacers had been separated by just two points across three matches. With each point vital in a series characterized by comebacks and high-pressure moments, the Pacers executed more effectively than the Knicks in the critical closing moments of each quarter in Game 4.
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Mathurin contributed 12 of his 20 points during these decisive stretches—one more than the 11 points he had accumulated throughout the series prior to Game 4. After sitting out the entire 2024 playoff run due to injury, Mathurin made his mark in perhaps the most crucial game of the season.
Siakam reached his fourth 30-point game of this playoffs with the Pacers and second in this series, making it the second occasion he and Haliburton both scored over 30 points in the same game as teammates and their first in playoff history.
This victory leaves Indiana just one win away from its second Finals appearance ever. Their first opportunity to clinch will be on Thursday (8 ET, TNT) in New York, where they triumphed in Games 1 and 2.
**3. THUNDER OFFENSE STEPS UP**
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In the strategic game that the NBA Playoffs entail, having a variety of avenues to success is essential.
As they approached Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder had allowed an average of only 98.4 points per game in their ten playoff victories, relying heavily on their top-ranked defense.
However, in their Game 4 win, it was the Thunder’s dynamic offense that took center stage. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (40 points) and Jalen Williams (34 points) achieved the highest scoring games of their playoff careers, leading Oklahoma City to one of its top offensive outings of the postseason.
So, what facilitated the Thunder’s third-highest scoring game of the playoffs just two days after their second-lowest? Aggressiveness and adaptability.
The result was not merely a Game 4 victory, but a step closer to achieving history. A single win will not only send the Thunder to their first Finals since 2012, but it would also align them with some of the most distinguished teams the league has ever seen.
As the Thunder look to wrap up the series at home in Game 5, will it be their tenacious defense or their versatile offense that propels them against a Timberwolves team desperate to push for a Game 6 back in Minnesota?
**4. THUNDER’S STRATEGY: A PLAN TO DISRUPT MINNESOTA’S STARS**
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The Minnesota Timberwolves rise and fall with the performances of Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle.
This season, the Timberwolves have won 30 games and lost only 9 when both stars manage to score 20 or more points. In Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, Edwards (30 points) and Randle (24 points) accomplished that feat, fueling an explosive 143-point game— the most that Oklahoma City has permitted all season.
Within 48 hours, the Thunder’s defense made adjustments and responded.
So how did Oklahoma City achieve this? They applied pressure through various defenders, using length and tenacity against both stars, starting with Edwards.
Dort made it challenging for Edwards to find any rhythm – even to receive the ball. In this specific instance, he denied a handoff, absorbed a screen, and then doubled with Isaiah Hartenstein to force the ball out of Ant’s possession.
**Defending the Perimeter:** After Edwards hit 5-of-8 from beyond the arc in Game 3, the Thunder restricted him to just 1-of-7 in Game 4 due to intense perimeter pressure.
Wallace successfully fought through a Gobert screen to contest a three-pointer attempt. Though Edwards managed to create space, Hartenstein provided timely assistance to obstruct the shot.
With limited room to operate, Edwards attempted 18 drives—almost six more than his average for the series. However, only four of those opportunities resulted in scores, as Oklahoma City’s defensive help from the corners congested the lane.
After a seamless switch with Caruso, Dort guided Edwards toward corner assistance, at which point Williams disrupted his handles, resulting in a turnover that Caruso then cleaned up.
The same approach was taken against Randle.
Four defenders applied pressure for over 45 seconds to the power forward, spearheaded by Williams, along with Caruso, Holmgren, and Wallace. As a result, they kept Randle at a combined 0-for-5 shooting and forced four turnovers.
**Their Strategy?** Seal off the inside. A powerful scorer, Randle had averaged 9.3 drives for 6.3 points across the first three games. In Game 4, the Thunder minimized him to only two drives that yielded no points.
With Williams closely guarding him, Randle penetrated into a wall of defense with support from both Dort and Holmgren. The pressure led to an inaccurate pass and another steal for Oklahoma City.
By controlling Minnesota’s star duo, the Thunder returned to their defensive identity. Following just five steals in Game 3, five different Thunder players recorded multiple steals in Game 4, resulting in 23 forced turnovers that converted into 22 points—putting them in a commanding 3-1 series lead.
**5. MUST-WIN: CAN THE TIMBERWOLVES KEEP THEIR SEASON ALIVE TONIGHT?**
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Minnesota head coach Chris Finch wasted no time assessing what went wrong in Game 4.
He simply recognized that his team had the capability to perform better.
Tonight (8:30 ET), the Timberwolves travel to Oklahoma City for Game 5, facing a 3-1 series deficit against a team that has lost only seven times at home this season, so hope lies in the group’s ability to perform under pressure.
**The Solution:** Despite recording a playoff-low of 22 defensive rebounds and a playoff-high of 23 turnovers, Minnesota narrowly lost Game 4 by just two points.
In Game 3, they handed Oklahoma City its largest defeat of the season by securing a series-high 50 rebounds and committing a series-low of 10 turnovers.
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The Wolves’ bench has stepped up significantly, contributing to 46.1% of the team’s production on Saturday and 50.7% on Monday. However, this is the time for the stars to shine.
“Everything’s out there – there are no secrets,” Alexander-Walker stated. “They know how to beat us. We know how to beat them. It’s just a matter of going out there and executing.”
