Pacers Rally Past Thunder to Take 2-1 Lead in NBA Finals

Pacers beat Thunder to take lead in NBA Finals

The Indiana Pacers seized control of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night, rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 in Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. With the victory, Indiana takes a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Tyrese Haliburton led a balanced Pacers attack with 22 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds, while the Indiana bench played a pivotal role, outscoring the Thunder’s reserves 49-18. Bennedict Mathurin was instrumental, pouring in 27 points off the bench to spark the comeback.

“So many different guys chipped in,” Haliburton said postgame. “Ben Mathurin was amazing off the bench. We just had guys make plays after plays.”

The Pacers entered the final quarter trailing by five, but their resilience showed as they clamped down defensively and executed down the stretch. They capitalized on Oklahoma City’s mistakes, turning 19 Thunder turnovers into 21 points.

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

Indiana’s win comes on the heels of a 123-107 loss in Game 2, and extends a remarkable run of avoiding back-to-back defeats since March.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s MVP, was limited to just three points in the final quarter after scoring 21 through the first three. He finished with 24 points. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 26 points, and Chet Holmgren added 20 points and 10 rebounds.

“In the fourth quarter I just thought they really outplayed us on both ends,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.

Game 4 is set for Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, tipping off at 8:30 p.m. local time (1:30 a.m. BST Saturday), with the Pacers looking to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

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