The Thunder trailed the Indiana Pacers by a two-possession margin, putting Oklahoma City in serious jeopardy of falling into a 3-1 series deficit, a hole that has been overcome only once in Finals history.
Gilgeous-Alexander, along with a top-ranked Thunder defense that lived up to that pedigree when desperately needed, didn’t allow that to happen.
The series is even heading back to Oklahoma City after the MVP’s clutch scoring flurry carried the Thunder to a 111-104 comeback victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“I knew what it would have looked like if we lost tonight,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 15 of his 35 points in the final 4:38. “I didn’t want to go out not swinging. I didn’t want to go out not doing everything I could do in my power, in my control, to try to win the game.
“The guys deserve that much from me. The coaching staff deserves that much from me. I just tried to be aggressive but also let the game come to me, not try to force anything too crazy. I guess it paid off.”
Gilgeous-Alexander hit the two biggest shots of the game — and of his career to this point — on consecutive possessions after Indiana superstar Tyrese Haliburton drove by him for a layup that put the Pacers up by four with 3:20 remaining.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 of the Thunder’s final 16 points, including 11 in the last 2:58. That is the most points by any player in the final three minutes of a Finals win in at least 50 years, according to ESPN Research.
