The Thunder entered Monday night’s Game 4 in Salt Lake City facing a must-win situation — hardly the position you’d like to be in so early in the postseason. A victory would lock the series at 2-2 with two of the next three coming in Oklahoma City. A loss would require the Thunder to win three straight in order to advance.
Unfortunately for Thunder fans, the latter came to fruition. It wasn’t even close.
The game got off to a frantic start, as both teams were clearly feeling the playoff atmosphere inside Vivint Smart Home Arena. Paul George picked up an early technical after a brief skirmish with Joe Ingles, and the intensity picked up from there.