即便印第安納溜馬於NBA總冠軍賽中以二比一之姿領先奧克拉荷馬雷霆，並挾勝勢進入關鍵第四戰，然教練團及球員皆屏氣凝神，深知前路漫漫，變數猶存；明星後衛泰瑞斯·哈利伯頓亦強調切莫自滿，方能於系列賽中拔得頭籌，最終捧盃。溜馬於第三戰以一百一十六比一百零七力克雷霆，班尼迪克特·馬瑟林與T.J.麥康奈爾表現亮眼，功不可沒，而替補陣容更以四十九比十八的懸殊比數輾壓雷霆替補，實乃奠定勝基之關鍵。

Nevertheless, Oklahoma City demonstrated assertive offensive initiatives in both the inaugural and third quarters; Indiana's head coach Rick Carlisle has underscored the imperative of maintaining a "killer instinct" throughout this series. A Thunder victory in Game 4 would restore parity to the series at 2-2, affording them the strategic advantage of hosting two of the remaining three contests. While Indiana's Myles Turner's absence due to illness was keenly felt, particularly given his pivotal contributions in Game 3, his participation is projected for Game 4.