Indiana coach Rick Carlisle offered an impassioned and somewhat unprompted defense of referee Scott Foster on Sunday, evidently aware of the mountains of online criticism that came after Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Despite how evenly matched the NBA Finals have been through four games, oddsmakers still expect the Thunder to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy without too much difficulty.The Thunder -- who entered the series as massive favorites -- won Game 4 in Indianapolis on Friday night to avoid a 3-1 series deficit.

Tyrese Haliburton says he and the Pacers are excited to rebound from heartbreaking NBA Finals Game 4 loss to Thunder on Monday

Up by 10, late in the third quarter. Up by seven, going into the fourth. The Indiana Pacers had a golden opportunity. And then, thud. A chance at a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals slipped right out of Indiana's hands on Friday night,

The result was only the second clutch game the Pacers lost this postseason, a 111-104 Thunder win that ties the series up at 2-2. What has been a highly entertaining, well-played Finals will see Game 5 Monday night in Oklahoma City. It also feels like a series that is going to go seven games.

With their backs against the wall, the Thunder delivered in a much-needed 111-104 Game 4 win on Friday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on his superhero cape and scored 35 points. Jalen Williams stepped up with 27 points. Chet Holmgren had a 14-point double-double.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came up clutch, finishing with 35 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 111-104 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night, evening the series 2-2.

However, what won the 68 games and got them to the Finals was their defense, and the Pacers torched that for a long stretch of Game 3. Indiana took better shots and capitalized on them, finishing with a 116 offensive rating (9.5 points higher than the Thunder allowed on average during the playoffs coming into the game).