Every time the Indiana Pacers have stumbled over the last three months, they’ve responded with force. Game 3 of the NBA Finals was no different. Just 48 hours removed from a gut-wrenching loss in Oklahoma City, the Pacers roared back on their home floor Wednesday night, seizing control of the NBA Finals with a 116-107 victory over the Thunder to take a 2-1 series lead. It marked Indiana’s 10th consecutive win following a loss — a streak that now includes the grandest stage of them all.
Bennedict Mathurin provided a major spark off the bench, pouring in 27 points to lead all Pacers scorers. Tyrese Haliburton flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 22 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds. Pascal Siakam chipped in 21 points, but the real separation came from Indiana’s depth — the Pacers bench outscored the Thunder reserves 49-18.
“We never flinch,” Haliburton said. “That’s just who we are. We take a hit, we get up. And we got up tonight — in front of our fans, in our building.”
It was Indiana’s first home NBA Finals game since 2000, and the city responded with a raucous crowd that included basketball royalty: Reggie Miller, Oscar Robertson, and even Caitlin Clark sitting courtside to witness the Pacers’ resurgence.
For Oklahoma City, it was another missed opportunity. The Thunder entered the fourth quarter up 89-84 — a position that had been nearly automatic during the regular season, when they were 61-2 when leading after three. But this series has rewritten the script: they’re now 1-2 in such situations against Indiana.
Jalen Williams led OKC with 26 points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 and Chet Holmgren scored 20. But when it mattered most, Indiana shut the door.
The Pacers outscored the Thunder 32-18 in the final period, locking down defensively and holding Oklahoma City to 35% shooting in the quarter. TJ McConnell embodied Indiana’s gritty approach, tallying 10 points, five assists, and five steals — the first player in Finals history to come off the bench and reach those marks in all three categories.
Game 3 was a tug-of-war most of the way, with 15 ties — more than any Finals game since 2018. But in the end, it was Indiana’s poise and punch that broke through.
History now leans heavily in the Pacers’ favor. Of the 41 NBA Finals previously tied 1-1, the Game 3 winner has gone on to win the series 33 times — a commanding 80.5% success rate.
Advantage, Pacers. Game 4 is Friday night in Indianapolis. With a chance to put the Thunder on the brink and edge closer to the franchise’s first NBA title, the Pacers will once again look to ride their resilience — and a city suddenly dreaming big again.
