The Indiana Pacers now have a 2-1 lead in the 2025 NBA Finals after securing a hard-fought 116-107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 on Wednesday.
Chet Holmgren fueled a strong opening for the Thunder and had 14 points in the opening frame as OKC jumped out to an eight point lead.
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The Thunder seemed to let off the gas in the second quarter though, allowing T.J. McConnell and the Pacers bench to erupt on the offensive end.
Indiana’s fast-paced offense put up 40 points in the second quarter and held on to a four point lead at halftime.
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OKC has one of the strongest perimeter defenses in NBA history, but the Pacers beat them at their own game on Wednesday. Indiana forced the Thunder into giving up 19 turnovers, allowing the Pacers’ offense to push the pace.
But the Thunder stayed with it in the third quarter, forcing the Pacers offense to cool down and grabbing a five point lead as the third quarter came to an end.
OKC maintained their momentum to start the final frame, but Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers were relentless on both sides of the ball. As the Thunder seemed to be getting tired, Indiana appeared fresh.
With less than seven minutes to play, the Pacers went on a 12-0 scoring run and sailed to the victory.
Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench and led the Pacers with 27 points and four rebounds in 22 minutes.
Haliburton looked far more aggressive in Game 3 than he has in the previous matchups, finishing with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.
For OKC, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 24 points and eight rebounds while Jalen Williams had 26 points and six assists.
The Thunder will need to be at their best in Game 4 on Friday if they want to overcome Indiana’s intense pace, otherwise they’ll be facing a 3-1 deficit.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
