Concerning NBA Finals Trend Haunting OKC Thunder Against Indiana Pacers
Concerning NBA Finals Trend Haunting OKC Thunder Against Indiana Pacers originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Oklahoma City Thunder could not regain homecourt advantage in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The Indiana Pacers managed to take a 2-1 lead with a strong 116-107 victory.
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The Thunder got the early advantage in the game, going up 32-24. After the Pacers counterpunched in the second quarter, the Thunder reestablished themselves with a 29-20 third.
The Pacers then did what they do best: show up for crunch-time. Indiana outscored Oklahoma City 32-18 in the fourth quarter to secure the comeback victory.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton looks to pass the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace defends during Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 8, 2025.Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The Pacers got several key performances to help propel them to the Game 3 win. Tyrese Haliburton just missed out on a triple-double with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Pascal Siakam also pulled his weight with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and 1 steal. Bennedict Mathurin added 27 points off the bench for the Pacers too.
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All of this helped Indiana get the push they needed when trailing the Thunder. In all fairness, the Pacers are more than familiar with falling behind in this series despite the 2-1 lead.
According to Keerthika Uthayakumar, "The Indiana Pacers are up 2-1 in the NBA Finals. They've only led for 10.7% of game time (20.6 minutes). Their largest lead of the series is 9."
This is a trend that appears more than par for the course for a Pacers team that is used to making their fans sweat this postseason. Indiana has signature come from behind victories in all rounds of their NBA Playoffs journey so far.
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The Pacers secured comebacks against the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and the Thunder. Each time, they have left their opponents shocked and stunned.
The Thunder will have to approach every remaining game without remorse. Giving the Pacers any signs of life will only result in disaster.
Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Has Strong Words For Chet Holmgren During NBA Finals
Related: Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin Makes NBA History in Game 3 vs. Thunder
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
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