Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Must Continue Desperate Play in Game 5 of NBA Finals

The 2025 NBA Finals are now a best-of-three. Through four games, the league has made no progress in crowning a champion, with the series tied at two games each, both clubs halfway home to its first NBA Championship in team history.

Oklahoma City was on the ropes in Game 4, nearly knocked out by the Indiana Pacers who stared a 3-1 lead in the face as the Gainbridge Fieldhouse faithful was rocking on Friday night. In the final frame, you could hear a pin drop in Indiana's barn. Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder mounted a comeback to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat.

That win not only kept the Thunder's title hopes off life support, but put them back in the driver's seat with two of the final three games inside the Paycom Center starting with Monday's Game 5 clash.

It is only natural for the Thunder to breathe a sigh of relief following the fourth frame, which saw Oklahoma City limit the Pacers to just 17 points while posting 31 themselves, with 15 coming from Gilgeous-Alexander.

That last 12 minutes were a different level of intensity and desperation from the Thunder, heights the NBA world had not seen them reach until that point in these NBA Finals, despite being the heavy favorites coming into the war.

Oklahoma City can not let its guard down. This has been a fantastic team at responding to adversity, but has far too often waited to throw a punch until it was a do-or-die setting for the young squad.

The Thunder have been here before. Their second-round series with the Denver Nuggets followed this same road map. A stunning Game 1 loss forced them to play catch-up en route to a 2-2 series tie after Game 4, where the Bricktown Ballers lived up to their city's name from beyond the arc in that game.

Oklahoma City not only won Game 5 of that Nuggets series, but they saw just how hard it is to win a closeout game on the Road as the Nuggets grabbed Game 6 in the Mile High City. A Game 6 trip to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be just as hard to pull off regardless of who takes Monday's affair inside the Paycom Center.

The Thunder have to play a desperate style of basketball at home, with a sense of urgency being carried over from the fourth period of Game 4.

Role players typically play better in the Friendly confines and the last time the Thunder suited up in front of its home fans, they got a big game from role player Aaron Wiggins, who tossed in 18 points off the pine for Oklahoma City. That helped lead the Thunder to a 123-107 win.

Oklahoma City's defense has to play at a historic level. Fighting over every screen, contesting every shot and being the first to loose balls or long rebounds. Winning the hustle stats is a requirement to taking control of this series.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and everything should be on the line for Oklahoma City on Monday night. Their title hopes depend on it.

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