'I love this mid-western energy; it's beautiful': How the Pacers fans helped win Game 3

Indianapolis Star

2 days ago

INDIANAPOLIS — After T.J. McConnell tallied his fourth assist of the second quarter less than three minutes into the period, he gestured for Indiana Pacers fans to make more noise before pointing to his ears and said, 'I can't hear you.' An already boisterous crowd draped in gold shirts that read 'But this is Indiana' got even louder.
Indiana hosted an NBA Finals game for the first time since 2000 on Wednesday. The Pacers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 to take a 2-1 series lead behind dominant bench play spearheaded by Bennedict Mathurin. The third-year guard finished with 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field.
'The state of Indiana is about basketball, and that's the first time I really felt it,' Mathurin said about the Pacers crowd at Game 3.
Among the Pacers crowd was former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee, Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, Indiana Fever stars Caitlin Clark and Aaliyah Boston, Pacers legend Reggie Miller, Manchester City star Manuel Akanji and actor and Pacers fan Terry Crews.
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During the fourth quarter, McAfee appeared on the jumbotron to remind fans that 'it's been 9,126 days since our state hosted an NBA Finals,' urging them to 'turn this city up.' The Pacers faithful responded to McAfee's call, but by this juncture in the game, the crowd noise had already motivated Crews to switch careers.
'I was half suited up. I was ready to go out there,' said Crews, who was wearing a Jermaine O'Neal Pacers jersey. 'Hearing this crowd made me feel like I wanted to go out and play. I love this mid-western energy; it's beautiful.'
To opponents, that energy is daunting. Three-time NBA champion Rick Fox was on the Lakers team that defeated the Pacers in their last finals appearance. Wednesday's Game 3 in Indianapolis felt no different than the one Fox played in 20 years ago.
'This is my second Game 3 in Indiana and the first time I couldn't hear myself think,' Fox, who attended Warsaw High School in Indiana, told IndyStar. "This time, I don't have to compete, but it matches the same intensity I've always known Indiana basketball to have. It doesn't matter if it's middle school, high school, college or the pros.'
Fox called the Pacers crowd the 'sixth man' and said a supportive crowd like Indiana's will 'push a player on' and allow players to have hope in comeback scenarios. The Thunder held a five-point lead heading into the fourth before being outscored 32-18 in the final period. The Pacers made 13-of-21 field goals and held the Thunder to 35% shooting in the fourth.
'They (the crowd) were everything we had hoped for tonight. We talked about telling our crowd through the media that we really need them,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. 'They were great. Especially in the fourth quarter, it just went up a few decibels.'
Sure, Pacers fans are loud. But Paycom Center is also thunderous when Oklahoma plays. To Fox, however, Indiana distinguishes itself from the Thunder and the rest of the league because behind the deafening noise levels is a profound knowledge of basketball.
'You have an educated IQ basketball fan that has come from birth playing basketball and understanding the game, so they're passionate and connective to every possession because they comprehend it on another level,' Fox said.
Matt Asen, known as the 'Pacer Guy,' has been a franchise fan for 38 years. Asen believes the Pacers have the 'coach and the depth' to defeat the Thunder. Asen hopes the Pacers fan base can cheer their team to a Game 4 victory on Friday.
'We rocked the building tonight and hopefully we can rock Oklahoma out of here,' Asen said. 'New York and Boston they root for their superstars and they think they deserve it. But in 49 states, it's just basketball, but this is Indiana,' Asen said. 'We are an educated fan base hungry for a championship.'