Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault has made a key adjustment to his starting lineup for Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, reinserting center Isaiah Hartenstein into the first five. The Thunder and Pacers are facing off tonight, June 13th, 2025, with Indiana currently holding a 2-1 series lead.

Hartenstein will join a starting lineup that includes MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, and Chet Holmgren. This is the same lineup that Oklahoma City utilized throughout the first three rounds of the Western Conference playoffs. The decision to return to this lineup reflects a strategic shift after experimenting with Cason Wallace in the starting role for the first three games of the Finals. During those games, Indiana managed to win two out of three contests.

The Hartenstein-Holmgren pairing provides the Thunder with significant size in their frontcourt, featuring two seven-footers. This lineup has proven successful for Oklahoma City, posting a 12-4 record in the Western Conference playoffs. Furthermore, this same starting five has a regular season record of 9-4, demonstrating their effectiveness when playing together.

Daigneault emphasized the team's flexibility and adaptability throughout the season. He noted that while the team started the same lineup in the earlier playoff rounds, their rotation has varied considerably from night to night during the Finals. He views this adaptability as a strength of the team.

This change comes after Indiana's dominant performance in the paint during Game 3, where they scored 50 points. In contrast, the Pacers only managed 34 points in the paint in each of the first two games of the series. It appears that the Thunder are aiming to bolster their interior defense with the size and presence of Hartenstein.

Currently, the Indiana Pacers are leading the series 2-1, giving them a significant advantage as they play on their home court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. In Game 3, Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers to victory with 22 points, including a crucial three-pointer in the fourth quarter. Obi Toppin also made significant contributions down the stretch, ultimately securing a 116-107 win for Indiana. Despite being down in the series, the Thunder are entering Game 4 as road favorites. However, they have struggled against the spread on the road throughout the postseason, going 0-8 ATS.

With the Pacers looking to take a commanding 3-1 lead, the Thunder will need a strong performance from their starting lineup, including the reinserted Hartenstein, to even the series before heading back to Oklahoma City.