Pacers Take 2-1 Lead in NBA Finals After Thrilling Win Over Thunder

The Pacers outlasted the Thunder 116-107 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, with Tyrese Haliburton nearly recording a triple-double and Bennedict Mathurin scoring a career playoff-high 27 points off the bench.

The Indiana Pacers took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals after outplaying the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 in Game 3. Tyrese Haliburton nearly recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists. Bennedict Mathurin set a career playoff high with 27 points off the bench, supporting Haliburton's impressive performance.

The Pacers' victory marked their first home win in the NBA Finals in 25 years, sparking electric energy at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The crowd of over 17,000 fans fed off the team's high-pressure defense, which ultimately helped them outscore the Thunder 32-18 in the final 12 minutes. Pascal Siakam also contributed significantly, scoring 21 points with 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

With this win, the Pacers now lead the series 2-1, setting up a crucial Game 4 on Friday at 8:30 PM ET, which will be broadcast on ABC. The Thunder, meanwhile, will look to bounce back and even the series, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams leading the charge. Oklahoma City's coach, Mark Daigneault, acknowledged that his team was outplayed in the fourth quarter, particularly on defense.

The Pacers' bench dominated with 49 points, outscoring Oklahoma City's reserves 49-18. They also limited NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to just 3 points in the 4th quarter. “So many different guys chipped in,” said Tyrese Haliburton, highlighting the team's collective effort.

"Ben Mathurin was amazing off the bench tonight. He just stuck with it. We just had guys make plays after plays," said a pleased Pacers coach, highlighting Bennedict Mathurin's career playoff-high 27 points. Pascal Siakam contributed 21 points, while T.J. McConnell added 10 points and five steals off the bench, helping the Pacers extend their winning streak to 10-0 since March 11 in games following a defeat.

a fantastic finish to a 116-107 victory over the Thunder in Game 3 as we took a 2-1 lead 💯 pic.twitter.com/vUGbPXK4ll

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 12, 2025

The Pacers host Game 4 on Friday, aiming to extend their 2-1 lead in the series. Coach Rick Carlisle praised Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell, saying, “Those guys were tremendous.”

“T.J. just brought a will, competitive will, to the game. Mathurin jumped in there and immediately was aggressive and got the ball in the basket.

“This is the kind of team that we are,” Carlisle added.

“It's not always going to be exactly the same guys that are stepping up with scoring and stuff like that. But this is how we've got to do it, and we got to do it as a team.”

Added Mathurin: “The main thing is you have to be resilient. You have to be the aggressor in order to win games.”

The Pacers trailed by five going into the fourth quarter but turned the tide with Tyrese Haliburton's clutch three-pointer at 6:42 remaining, giving them the lead for good. Obi Toppin solidified their advantage with a dunk, making it 107-100, and followed up with a crucial block on Jalen Williams' layup attempt, helping the Pacers gain control of the game.

The Thunder started strong, silencing the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd with a 15-6 lead in under five minutes. Tyrese Haliburton's three-pointer cut the deficit to two points, but the Thunder pushed the lead to eight by the end of the first quarter.

Pacers Seize Momentum

Indiana fans, who hadn't seen their team in the Finals since 2000, were treated to a second-half surge fueled by the Pacers' reserves, which saw the team seize the lead.

T.J. McConnell's free throws put the Pacers up 37-36, and Bennedict Mathurin's layup extended the lead to 46-42, Indiana's biggest lead of the series. The Pacers pushed the advantage to seven points, but Oklahoma City tied it at 51-51. Tyrese Haliburton's three-pointer broke the tie at 55-55, and McConnell's fadeaway jump shot gave Indiana a 64-60 halftime lead.

The back-and-forth battle persisted in the third quarter, with Oklahoma City starting the half on an 8-0 run. The Pacers fought back, and after five more lead changes, the Thunder held a slim 89-84 lead entering the fourth quarter. However, they couldn't seal the win.

Jalen Williams scored 26 points and Chet Holmgren added 20 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City. However, the Thunder struggled with 19 turnovers, which led to 21 Pacers points. “In the fourth quarter, I just thought they really outplayed us on both ends,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.

"/“I thought they were in character in terms of their physicality, their pressure on defence. Then they were in character in terms of their pace on offence.

“They just stacked way more quality possessions in the fourth quarter than we did.”