On June 16, the fourth game of the NBA Finals was a fierce showdown. In the end, the Thunder narrowly defeated the Pacers in a game described as a "free throw battle", tying the series at 2-2. After the game, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault publicly supported the referee when talking about the penalty scale, saying that he "did a great job."

"It was a physical game with a lot of fouls and therefore a lot of free throws. I thought the referees did a good job and both teams got the chances they deserved," Daigneault said in the post-game press conference.

The focus of this game was undoubtedly on the free throw line. The Thunder team got 38 free throw opportunities and made 34 of them, with a hit rate of 89.5%; while the Pacers had 33 free throws and made 25 of them, with a hit rate of 75.8%. The large number of free throws made this game nicknamed the "Free Throw Contest" by the outside world.

The key moment of the game was also decided by free throws. Pacers' new star Benedict Metulin stood on the free throw line with 23 seconds left, but missed two free throws and missed a good chance to tie the game. After that, with 19 seconds left in the game, Metulin got another free throw opportunity, but only made one of two free throws, completely destroying the team's hope of a comeback. He made 5 of 8 free throws in this game, and only made 1 of 4 free throws in the countdown period, which became one of the keys to the Pacers' narrow defeat.

In contrast, Thunder core player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed great stability. He made 10 of 10 free throws, including 6 points in the last minute of the game, all from free throws. It is worth mentioning that he only had two free throws in the first 44 minutes of the game, but he seized the opportunity in the last minute and became the biggest contributor to the Thunder's reversal.

Alexander is not only the Thunder's scoring engine, but also the league's veritable "free throw king." This season, he averaged 7.9 points per game from free throws, ranking first in the league, and he also scored 7.6 points last season. In this crucial matchup, his calmness and accuracy once again helped the Thunder secure victory.

The finals ended in a 2-2 tie, and the next series will be even more stalemate. Although the rhythm of this game was interrupted many times due to frequent penalties, the tension and intensity of the game were still exciting. For the Thunder, this victory is not only a technical and tactical success, but also a reflection of the personal stability of the star players.

As the game enters a white-hot stage, both teams will face greater psychological and physical challenges. Free throws, a basic link, may continue to play a decisive role in the series.