Bennedict Mathurin delivered 27 points off the bench and Tyrese Haliburton flirted with a triple-double, lifting the Indiana Pacers to a 116-107 comeback win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.
Indiana outscored the Thunder 36-22 in the fourth quarter and now holds a 2-1 lead in the series.
The Pacers’ depth proved decisive, outpacing Oklahoma City’s reserves 49-18. Haliburton posted 22 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds, while Pascal Siakam added 21. TJ McConnell made NBA Finals history with 10 points, five assists, and five steals off the bench. No reserve had ever posted that stat line in a Finals game. Indiana’s defense clamped down late, flipping a five-point deficit entering the fourth into a comfortable win.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 and Jalen Williams had 26 for the Thunder, who surrendered momentum late in a game that featured 15 ties.
Historically, Game 3 winners in tied NBA Finals series go on to win the championship 80% of the time.
Game 4 is set for Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].