INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The Indiana Pacers continued their remarkable bounce-back streak with a statement win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 on Wednesday night to take a 2-1 series lead.
Bennedict Mathurin erupted for 27 points off the bench, while Tyrese Haliburton nearly posted a triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds. The win marked Indiana’s 10th straight victory following a loss since mid-March, including a critical response after their Game 2 defeat in OKC.
“This is who we are,” said Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. “We need everybody ready to contribute. It won’t always be the same heroes, but this is how we win—together.”
Pascal Siakam added 21 points, and the Pacers’ second unit dominated, outscoring the Thunder’s bench 49-18. TJ McConnell made NBA Finals history with 10 points, five assists, and five steals — no other bench player has ever done that in a Finals game.
The Thunder, who led by five entering the fourth quarter, were outscored 32-18 in the final 12 minutes. Jalen Williams had 26 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 24, and Chet Holmgren chipped in 20. But Oklahoma City couldn’t hold on, falling to 1-2 in games where they’ve led after three quarters in this series—despite going 61-2 in such situations during the regular season.
“They just outplayed us,” admitted Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “We had good stretches, but they had more.”
The game was fiercely competitive, featuring 15 ties—more than the entire 2023 Finals combined. With legends like Reggie Miller, Oscar Robertson, and Caitlin Clark watching from the crowd, the Pacers delivered in their first home Finals game in 25 years.
Historically, the winner of a 1-1 tied Game 3 in the NBA Finals has gone on to win the championship 80.5% of the time (33 out of 41 cases). With Game 4 back in Indy on Friday night, momentum clearly favors the Pacers.
“There’s still work to do,” said Haliburton. “But this one? This one was big.”
