Thunder vs. Pacers NBA Finals: Indiana does what it does best to defend its home court
INDIANAPOLIS — The last time the Indiana Pacers pulled to within two games of an NBA championship, it was a stay of execution, delaying the inevitable celebration for the Los Angeles Lakers — the league's brewing dynasty.
It was a show for the home crowd 25 years ago, almost an apology for blowing a winnable Game 4 days earlier.
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These Pacers pulled to within two wins of a title Wednesday because they executed at every margin, putting spackle on every hole and imperfection, and, more importantly, stopped treating the Oklahoma City Thunder like the dynasty they could become.
Perhaps this is just a delay, the Pacers defending home court in what feels like an upset, with a dominant fourth quarter on the way to a 116-107 win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Because how do they keep doing this? The Thunder had their graduation in the second round, knocking off the wounded but prideful Nikola Jokić-led Denver Nuggets, and everything since was supposed to be a coronation for the franchise that built things the right way.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton goes to the hole against Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
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The Pacers were supposed to be a nuisance, and not even the shocker in Game 1 had changed anyone's mind. It was written off as an anomaly, the Thunder taking their foot off the gas and being caught by a Pacers team many believe to be a level below Oklahoma City, talent-wise.
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The Thunder's defense is historic, both in numbers and eye test, but somehow the Pacers figured out their best friends are their endurance and an energetic crowd. The Thunder are young, buoyed by players mature beyond their years and pretty developed physically, yet they were the ones who were tugging their shorts in the fourth quarter, gasping for air.
Maybe it took the Pacers three games to figure out waiting for a great shot means dribbling into a turnover or a bad shot — and they instead let it fly, efficiency be damned.
Tyrese Haliburton, welcome to the NBA Finals. He was a special guest star in Oklahoma City, but he's a full cast member now. He refused to wait for the cadre of Thunder defenders to load up on him, and for once, took the game to them — along with being aggressive on defense.
'This is a defense that you can't consistently give them the same look,' Haliburton said. 'If you try to hold the ball and call for screens, they crawl into you and pack the paint. It's not easy. It's really tough. That's why they are such a historical defense. They do such a great job of that. You just have to continue to give them different looks as much as you can.'
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Haliburton came close to a triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, but his effect went well beyond the tangible. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle bristles at the notion Haliburton should turn into some unabashed chucker, probably because he knows so many observers are watching his team intensely and intently for the first time all year, and he will remind anyone, at any time, its depth carries it as much as one star.
'I thought his approach tonight was exactly what it need to be,' Carlisle said. 'A combination of spatial awareness and aggression, and, you know, a real good feel for aggression to score along with getting his teammates involved at the right times.'
Haliburton was helping to hound Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whom the Pacers were way too reverential to in Oklahoma City. They defended him as if they'd be called for a foul just for breathing near him, and to be fair, they weren't wrong.
But they at least made him think and consider some consequences — like Thomas Bryant earning an actual foul by grabbing his arm when the MVP caught him in one of those precarious positions that results in unflattering chants and trips to the foul line.
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Gilgeous-Alexander had a traveling violation and some rare errant passes as part of his six-turnover performance, which hasn't happened often in his sterling playoffs. The terms the Pacers have to win on start with being physical and end with being fast.
They found themselves on the brink of letting this game, this series, slip away so many times, and then a defibrillator would shock the system: T.J. McConnell doing his best Matthew Dellavedova impression from 10 years ago, minus the driving-at-legs part, with steals in the backcourt and passes knocked away from unsuspecting Thunder players.
'You guys know he's definitely a crowd favorite,' Haliburton said. 'I joke with him. I call him the 'Great White Hope.' He does a great job of bringing energy in this building. And I think people feed off that.'
McConnell certainly gave the crowd plenty to cheer about with the first 10-point, 5-assist, 5-steal performance from a reserve in NBA Finals history.
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'We need all of our guys to bring whatever is their thing to our thing and have it be part of our thing, you know,' Carlisle said. 'But [McConnell's] a guy that inspires a lot of people. He inspires our team a lot.'
Then there's Bennedict Mathurin, having the game of his life and not acting like it was at all a surprise. In Game 1, he was pulled after an early turnover during that sloppy first half (19 Pacers turnovers). In Game 3, he was decisive, and if you gave him any space, he was taking a midrange jumper.
It didn't matter if it's supposed to be a great shot or not, because damn it, it was an available one, and the Pacers needed every one of Mathurin's 27 points off the bench.
That's how they keep doing this.
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The Thunder seemed to have an endless supply of good players, productive ones who'd pop up and do something impactful at a given moment in the Western Conference finals. But for some reason, in a track meet no less, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault only ran with seven for most of the night — with usual starter Isaiah Hartenstein playing just 18 minutes.
Think about all the Pacers survived in this one. The Thunder getting off to a crowd-quieting 15-6 start. Starting center Myles Turner being under the weather, which wasn't revealed until after the game, but something was evident in watching Chet Holmgren beat him up and down the floor repeatedly for buckets in the opening minutes.
Jalen Williams finally had a game after a shaky start, scoring 26 and bullying defenders on the way there. OKC's Big 3 showed up, combining for 70 points, but it didn't matter after 48 minutes.
The Pacers' slim halftime lead built by the bench dissipated in 90 seconds. The lead they regained again slipped through their grasp to close the quarter, trailing by five.
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Make no mistake, this was the series for Indiana. Losing this, in front of this rabid home crowd, would've sapped any optimism for Friday's Game 4, and all would've been lost.
'These guys see where important things are important, and hard things are hard,' said Carlisle, using the phrase that has become a mantra of his.
The Pacers have chosen their hard just by getting here, and they don't plan on stopping now.
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