OKC to defend homecourt

MANILA, Philippines — Oklahoma City may need another Jordanesque performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to defend homecourt against the playoffs’ winningest road team Indiana in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the Paycom Center this morning (8:30 am, Manila time). SGA bailed OKC out of trouble in Game 4, scoring 15 of his 35 points in the last 4 1/2 minutes as the Thunder stunned the Pacers, 111-104, on the road last Friday to avoid a 3-1 series deficit. Now, it’s tied at 2-2 with the homecourt advantage swinging back to OKC.

SGA did his Michael Jordan version of pushing off Aaron Nesmith to hit a 14-foot jumper and put OKC in the driver’s seat, 104-103, for good with 2:23 left. The MVP went on to score six of OKC’s next seven points to seal the outcome. In Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, Jordan made the same move on Bryon Russell to knock down a 20-footer with 5.2 seconds left as Chicago finished off Utah on the road.

Despite his heroics, SGA couldn’t have pulled it off without help from teammates. Coach Mark Daigneault learned his lesson in Game 1 when he took 7-1 center Chet Holmgren off the floor late in the fourth quarter and the Pacers stole it, 110-110, on a Tyrese Haliburton buzzer-beater. In Game 4, Holmgren was present and accounted for. He collected six of his 14 points and six of his 15 rebounds in the final frame. Daigneault also deployed Holmgren and 7-foot Isaiah Hartenstein together for 2 1/2 minutes up to the 4:19 mark in the fourth to play tag off the boards and on defense. Daigneault started the Twin Towers from Day 1 of the playoffs until the Finals opener when he replaced Hartenstein with Cason Wallace to match up with Hali. He stuck with the same first five in Games 2 and 3 then reverted back to Hartenstein in Game 4.

Indiana has won seven of 20 playoff games so far on the road and seven at home. OKC has won nine at home and five on the road. Indiana will host Game 6 and if necessary, OKC will stage Game 7 so the Thunder has two chances to win at home and claim the Larry O’Brien trophy.

For OKC, the battle cry is defense. In two wins over Indiana, the Pacers were held to an average of 105.5. The reverse is the key for coach Rick Carlisle’s troops who thrive on offense, hitting at a 113.5 clip in two victories. In Indiana’s Game 3 triumph, Benedict Mathurin came off the bench to fire 27. But in Game 4, he was held to eight points and missed three free throws inside the last 23.1 seconds. OKC will be out to take its first series lead in Game 5.