By Joshua Miranda
Sports Capital Journalism Program
INDIANAPOLIS — After dropping Game 1 at home to a Tyrese Haliburton game-winner, the Oklahoma City Thunder came to Indiana looking to reclaim control of the NBA Finals. But winning in Gainbridge Fieldhouse is no easy feat.
In Game 3, the Thunder briefly held a nine-point lead in the first quarter. But Indiana’s bench turned the tide. Powered by standout performances in the second and fourth quarters, the Pacers pulled away late, seizing a 2-1 series lead with a convincing 116-107 victory.
Oklahoma City became just the fourth team in NBA history with 80 victories in the regular season and playoffs before the NBA Finals. But now, heading into Game 4, the Thunder are teetering on the edge. A loss would drop them into a 3-1 hole, historically, a near-impossible deficit to overcome in the NBA Finals.
Through the first two games, Oklahoma City dictated the tempo, holding leads for long stretches. But in Game 3, Indiana countered every run. Every push from the Thunder was met with a punch right back.
This series has become a showcase for depth. In Game 3, it was Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell who ignited the Pacers. In Game 2, it was Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins doing damage off the Thunder bench.
Yet Game 3 saw a puzzling shift in Oklahoma City’s rotation. Head coach Mark Daigneault used 11 players in the first quarter but only seven saw more than 10 minutes by the end. Wiggins, who dropped 18 points in 20 minutes in Game 2, played for just 9:39 in Indiana. Caruso, who erupted for 20 points on 11 shots in Game 2, managed just 8 points on less than half the volume in Game 3.
Add to that a quiet night from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a defensive collapse, giving up 72 points in the second and fourth quarters while scoring just 36 and you’ve got a blueprint for defeat.
“All their team, their players, they just outplayed us, outcoached us, out-everythinged us last night,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “We certainly need to move on and let that go. But we also need to own that so we can learn from it.”
The Indiana Pacers needed multiple standout performances to secure a pivotal Game 3 win, and they got them. Mathurin poured in 27 points in just 22:24 off the bench. Myles Turner, battling illness, turned Gainbridge Fieldhouse into a block party in the fourth quarter, swatting away Chet Holmgren at the rim. And McConnell channeled his inner Caruso, disrupting inbound passes, igniting the crowd, and bringing relentless energy.
“He’s a big energy guy, honestly,” said Lu Dort. “Really smart. He’s in the right position to steal the ball a lot of times. He plays with really good pace. He’s a good player, he’s going to make good plays. We’ve got good defenders to stop that.”
For the Thunder, the second-youngest team to reach the Finals, the situation may be uncomfortable, but it’s not unfamiliar. In the second round against the defending champion Denver Nuggets, OKC found itself down 2–1 in the series, having lost two games in similar fashion. But the Thunder stormed back and ultimately advanced, something they’re hoping to replicate now on the NBA’s biggest stage.
The key to that turnaround? Limiting Nikola Jokic’s playmaking. The three-time MVP, who averaged a triple-double during the regular season and the first round of the playoffs, failed to notch even one game with double-digit assists against the Thunder. His average fell to under six per game in the series.
It’s a familiar challenge now with Tyrese Haliburton, who, like Jokic, is a gifted facilitator. But Haliburton isn’t the same kind of scorer, and the Pacers’ supporting cast has performed far better than Denver’s did. With each game, Haliburton has looked more comfortable, more confident, his points and assists steadily climbing as he settles into the Finals spotlight.
Still, Oklahoma City remains the favorite. The Thunder boast the league MVP, an All-Star, and multiple All-Defensive Team selections. They’ve held the biggest lead in the series and now carry a chip on their shoulder. Despite Indiana’s momentum, it would be surprising to see the Pacers ease up against a team this dangerous.
“You look at what Oklahoma did at the beginning of the game, 16–7, boom, just like that,” said Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. “We have a lead at the end of the third quarter. Boom, all of a sudden, we’re down five going into the fourth. There’s no looking forward… It would be foolish.”
Turner, the defensive anchor for the Pacers missed practice on Thursday, hoping to recover from his illness. With potentially of Turner being less than 100% in game 4, the Thunder could capitalize. The game could come down to two questions: Will the Thunder find a way to account for Indiana’s role players? And how aggressive will their MVP be, knowing what’s at stake? With OKC trying to avoid a 3–1 deficit, the answers will arrive soon enough.