The Oklahoma City Thunder have levelled things up in the 2025 NBA Finals! The series is now tied 2-2. But after the game ended, all anyone could talk about was one thing – the officiating. Most fans did not appreciate how much the referees got involved in tonight’s game. However, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and his Pacers counterpart Rick Carlisle had other takeaways after the game.

See, tonight’s game had a LOT of free throws. How many, you ask? Well, the Thunder attempted 38, making 34 of them. And the Pacers attempted 33, making 25. That’s a staggering 71 free throws in tonight’s Game 4. But Mark Daigneault does not think this is a problem. In fact, he was all praises for tonight’s officials.

“There were a c— ton of fouls. That’s why there were a c— ton of free throws. I thought the referees did a good job,” said the Thunder head coach. Perhaps the fact that his team won tonight had something to do with. Moreover, his team was super efficient with their free throws, making 89.8% from their trips to the line.

However, this was the exact problem Rick Carlisle had with his team’s showing tonight. “You know, they had 38 free throws, and that was a problem. They made 34 to 38, we had 33 and made 25, you know, they missed four. We missed eight, you know those the difference of four is significant. There’s a lot of little things going on. But it’s this series is gonna come down to the basics,” said the Pacers HC.

And yes, the Indiana Pacers will definitely rue the missed opportunities in Game 4. After all, they had the largest lead in the game. But Rick Carlisle was far from done. See, he meant what he said about the basics. And he believed his team should have done a better job at rebounding tonight. “Our inability to effectively rebound when we needed to is the biggest thing,” he said, talking about what cost them the game tonight. But both head coaches did agree on one crucial thing.

Mark Daigneault and Rick Carlisle concur on their teams after Game 4 of the NBA Finals

Now, heading into this game, Mark Daigneault was confident his team would learn from their mistakes. And they vindicated his belief in them with their showing tonight — especially in the final quarter. So, at the post-game presser Mark couldn’t contain the pride he felt for his team.

“I thought that was the key to the game because they really had the wind at their back. We had some deflating plays. It was an easy game to give up on, but we kept it within striking distance, 8-10, and then were able to close in the fourth,” said Thunder head coach. And Rick Carlisle similarly feels that his team already has the killer mindset to bounce back from this loss in the next game – much like Mark Daigneault did after Game 3.

“I don’t need to motivate these guys. I think I think they have a sense of where they are. But you know this kind of a challenge is gonna have extreme highs and extreme lows. And this is a low right now, and we’re gonna have to bounce back from it,” said the Pacers head coach.

Just from these statements alone, it’s clear how the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers made it to the NBA Finals. They have the mentality needed to be champions, yes. But they also have coaches who believe in them wholeheartedly. What a travesty that only one of these teams will become NBA Champions when all is said and done!