Gilbert Arenas and Kenyon Martin rip proposed NBA rule change after fan outrage about Game 4 ending in OKC series

Game 4 of the 2025 Western Conference finals was an instant classic as the OKC Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves went back and forth trading buckets in a game that went down to the wire, and the home side even had a chance to force overtime with a game-tying three-pointer.

That's when the Thunder opted for the infamous 'foul up three' strategy, taking all momentum from the game and making the final seconds feel like hours as both teams tried to get their points from the free-throw line.

Notably, that led multiple fans to urge the NBA to ban that strategy, as the game went from being a nail-biter to being settled from the charity stripe.

Kenyon Martin, however, believes that's just a part of the game. When asked about that in the latest edition of Gil's Arena, the former All-Star argued that this wouldn't happen so often if the players took care of business while they could:

"It's a strategy that wasn't utilized before the teams lost because they didn't utilize that strategy," Martin said. (Timestamp 0:48). "In one single playoffs, have you seen this many meltdowns?" Martin asked. "Like, they are dumb basketball players."

Gilbert Arenas, on the other hand, disagreed with Martin, stating that a miss from the line could then put the fouling team in a position to lose the game with a game-winner, so he doesn't think the strategy is as smart as it sounds:

"I'm not a fan of it because what happens is that it puts too much pressure on you to still be good at the free-throw line," Arenas argued (Timestamp 3:12).

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There will be no tomorrow for the Minnesota Timberwolves

Even with Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards combining to score just 21 points, the Timberwolves were still in a position to steal that game.

Granted, Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker might not score 22 and 23, respectively, every night, but they still almost managed to even things up at two wins apiece.

Now, with the series back in Oklahoma City and facing a 3-1 deficit, the Timberwolves will have to be flawless to live for another day and force Game 6.

Given Mark Daigneault tipped his hand and showed that they will foul up three every single time, they will have to make sure to take care of business long before the final seconds of the game.