Bennedict Mathurin says hostile OKC crowd is when he realized he was in NBA Finals
Bennedict Mathurin says hostile OKC crowd is when he realized he was in NBA Finals
Mark the Indiana Pacers as another team that learned how difficult it is to enter Paycom Center as the visitor in the playoffs. The deeper the Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten, the louder the OKC crowds have been.
The Thunder were known during the 2010s as one of the best homecourt advantages. A short rebuild didn't drop any interest. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, OKC is back to those eardrum-damaging levels as the decibel meter is over triple-digit points for most of the game.
After a Game 1 stunner, the Thunder bounced back with a 123-107 Game 2 win over the Pacers. That evened the 2025 NBA Finals to 1-1. This is the closest OKC has been to a championship since the franchise relocated. They travel to Indiana with the hopes of at least a split on the road.
Now it's the Pacers fanbase's turn to be obnoxiously loud. Bennedict Mathurin revealed he thought the OKC crowd was the moment everything hit him that they were in the NBA Finals. An unlikely destination considering how Indiana was viewed before the playoffs started in April.
"Well, I can't recall a specific moment. I would just say the crowd in OKC, it was amazing. When you make a basket, everybody is booing and stuff. I feel like it's hard to live in the moment and hold a camera at the same time," Mathurin said. "As much as I would love to say I'm in the Finals, that takes you away from the game. Just going out there and finishing the game the right way is the mindset."
The Pacers will need role players like Mathurin to confirm the adage that they play better at home. That's how Indiana stole Game 1. Role players like Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith did just enough with ridiculous shot-making to stay within reach until Haliburton gave them their first lead with 0.3 seconds left.
The Pacers crowd isn't half-bad either. In their first NBA Finals in 25 years, expect the basketball-loving city to support their underdog squad. Game 3 could decide how long the championship series goes. The Thunder must prepare to feel the exact way Indiana felt in the first two games of this matchup.
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