SI

Charles Barkley Declares NBA Finals 'A Wrap' After Thunder's Comeback Win vs. Pacers

Barkley believes the Pacers let a golden opportunity slip through their fingers.

Tim Capurso

Barkley thinks the NBA Finals is over.
Barkley thinks the NBA Finals is over. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Oklahoma City Thunder, staring a 3-1 deficit in the face and trailing by seven points at the end of the third quarter, stormed back—thanks to a huge fourth quarter performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—to win Game 4 111-104 and even the NBA Finals at two games apiece on Friday night.

But Hall of Famer and NBA analyst Charles Barkley believes the Thunder did more than just level the series. Barkley, never one to shy away from bold analysis, believes the NBA Finals is over.

"Yeah I think they [the Pacers] in trouble because when you have a team on the ropes, you gotta finish them off," Barkley said. "You go up 3-1, you're in great shape. But now, you know Oklahoma City—Number one, they got a better team. Now they're back to their original starting lineup, which will be better next game.

"Then they realize—Man, we gotta play our bench more. We're back to the thing that got us to the NBA Finals. We're gonna go back big-big. We can dominate them on the boards like we did. And they're going back to Oklahoma City. I think this series is a wrap. I thought tonight was a big deal for both teams."

In a vacuum, yes, the Pacers letting the chance to seize a commanding 3-1 series lead seems like a squandered opportunity, especially considering that they outplayed the Thunder for roughly three quarters of the game. And the remainder of the series, which is now effectively a best-of-three, would seem to favor the Thunder, who will get to play two of the potential three remaining games—including the pivotal Game 5—at home.

But declaring the series as over while there is still the possibility for a whole lot of basketball to be played is certainly a choice, even for Barkley. And counting out the Pacers, the comeback kings of the 2024-25 postseason, is even more unwise.

Game 5 tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday night.

More NBA Finals on Sports Illustrated

feed

Published
Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

Home/NBA