The Indiana Pacers delivered a commanding performance on Wednesday night, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 to seize a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals. Fueled by a phenomenal collective effort and a career playoff-high from a key reserve, the Pacers wore down the favored Thunder.
Tyrese Haliburton orchestrated Indiana’s offense with 22 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists, showcasing his all-around impact. However, the true difference-maker was reserve Bennedict Mathurin, who exploded for a playoff career-high 27 points, igniting the Pacers’ bench. Indiana’s reserves outscored Oklahoma City’s bench by a significant 49-18 margin, proving decisive.
The Pacers’ relentless energy and depth wore down NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was limited to just 24 points, with only three coming in the pivotal fourth quarter. Jalen Williams led the Thunder scorers with 26 points.
“So many different guys chipped in,” Haliburton told ABC after the game. “Ben Mathurin was amazing off the bench tonight. He just stuck with it. We just had guys make plays after plays.”
Pascal Siakam added 21 points for Indiana, and TJ McConnell provided a crucial spark off the bench with 10 points and five steals. The Pacers continued their impressive trend of bouncing back from defeats, improving to 10-0 since March 11 in games immediately following a loss.
Despite trailing by five points entering the fourth quarter, the Pacers took control, with Haliburton sinking a go-ahead three-pointer with 6:42 remaining. Obi Toppin’s emphatic dunk and subsequent block on a Jalen Williams layup solidified Indiana’s grip on the game.
The Thunder started strong, grabbing an early 15-6 lead and maintaining an eight-point advantage at the end of the first quarter. However, the enthusiastic Indianapolis crowd, eager to see their team in the Finals for the first time since 2000, was rewarded as Indiana’s reserves fueled a crucial second-half surge.
McConnell’s free throws put the Pacers up 37-36, and Mathurin’s running layup extended their lead to 46-42, their largest of the series at that point. After exchanging blows and tying the game at 51-51, Haliburton’s three and McConnell’s fadeaway jump shot sent Indiana into halftime with a 64-60 lead.
The seesaw battle continued in the third quarter, with Oklahoma City opening on an 8-0 run before the Pacers charged back. However, after five more lead changes, the Thunder took an 89-84 lead into the final period, but their offensive struggled to close it out.
Williams finished with 26 points and Chet Holmgren added 20 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City. However, 19 Thunder turnovers, leading to 21 Pacers points, proved costly.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged Indiana’s dominance in the final frame: “In the fourth quarter, I just thought they really outplayed us on both ends. I thought they were in character in terms of their physicality, their pressure on defense. Then they were in character in terms of their pace on offense. They just stacked way more quality possessions in the fourth quarter than we did.”
The Pacers outscored the Thunder 32-18 in the fourth quarter to secure the vital win. Game 4 will be held in Indianapolis on Friday, with the Pacers aiming to extend their lead to 3-1 as they chase their first-ever NBA Finals crown.
