NBA Finals Game 3 takeaways: Pacers start homestand with statement win
The NBA Finals are here, with West No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder and the East No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers squaring off with the hope of lifting their first-ever Larry O'Brien trophy at the end of the highly-anticipated series.
This is the Pacers' first Finals appearance since 2000, when they eventually fell to the Lakers in six games. The Thunder last made the Finals in 2012 and lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in five games.
Here's what has stood out from Wednesday's Game 3 and what to expect from Game 4 on Friday:
Game 3: Pacers 116, Thunder 107
What stood out for the Pacers: The Pacers have a lot to celebrate in their first Finals game at home in 25 years considering the following stat: When a championship series is tied at 1-1, the team that wins Game 3 goes on to win the title 80 percent of the time.
For Indiana, their bench was the difference-maker, outscoring the Thunder's reserves, 49-18. Bennedict Mathurin, whom the Pacers selected as the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft, had a game-high 27 points in 22 minutes off the bench, shooting 9-for-12 from the field, 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and making 7 of his eight free-throw attempts. T.J. McConnell also had a major impact off the bench, finishing with 10 points and 5 steals in 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton, who struggled in Game 2 with just 17 points, had a complete performance in Game 3, finishing just one rebound shy of a triple-double with 22 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists. Pascal Siakam added 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting to round out the complete team effort for the Pacers on both ends of the court.
What stood out for the Thunder: While the Thunder's defense has deservedly gotten a lot of praise, considering it has led the league in both the regular season and postseason, this game highlighted the Pacers' swarming effort on that end of the court. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 36 points in Games 1 and 2, was held to just 24 points on 9-for-20 shooting, including going 1-for-3 from beyond the arc in Game 3. The Pacers forced the Thunder to commit 19 turnovers, on which Indiana scored 21 points. Even though the Thunder outrebounded the Pacers, 42-36, and outshot them from beyond the arc, 45.5 percent to 33.3 percent, the Pacers controlled the physicality, tempo and they simply had more players shine in the first game of the series on their homecourt.
What to expect in Game 4: For the Thunder, they're going to need to control the pace, limit the amount of Pacers players that get hot and Gilgeous-Alexander is going to need to have an MVP-level performance to prevent them from falling into a 3-1 series hole. For the Pacers, they kept their cool in a game with nine lead changes and 15 ties, with guys who don't typically have eye-popping stats stepping up in a major way on the biggest of stages. If the Pacers' bench can continue to roll like this, they're going to be a very, very tough team to stop, especially on their home floor.
Game 2: Thunder 123, Pacers 107
What stood out for the Thunder: The Thunder learned their lesson from Game 1 and played all 48 minutes of Game 2 after blowing a 15-point fourth-quarter lead in the Finals opener. The Thunder outscored the Pacers 33-21 in the second quarter to lead by as much as 23 points, entered the fourth quarter with a 19-point lead and kept a sizable advantage through the final buzzer. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had another 30-plus point performance in the championship round, finishing with 34 points, five rebounds, eight assists and four steals. But this time around, he had much more help, with the Thunder's reserves outscoring the Pacers' bench, 48-34. The Thunder's top-rated defense suffocated the Pacers' offense. Four Thunder players scored at least 18 points, while no one on the Pacers scored more than 17 points.
What stood out for the Pacers: The Pacers were outrebounded, 43-35, and outscored in points in the paint, 42-34. Tyrese Haliburton had just 17 points, including only scoring three points in the first half on 1-for-5 shooting from the field. The Pacers simply looked out of sorts against a Thunder team that was stunned in Game 1 and made sure to come out with their foot on the gas on both ends of the court in Game 2. Every run the Pacers went on was thwarted by the Thunder, who made sure not to allow the come-from-behind team to take a 2-0 series lead on their home court.
What to expect in Game 3: For the Pacers, here's to betting Haliburton and Co. come out way more aggressive in Game 3. There's no way the Pacers' star player can finish with just two more field goals (seven) than turnovers (five) and the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, Pascal Siakam, can have 15 points on 3-for-11 shooting and this team can expect to have a chance to win. The Pacers need to pound the boards and figure out ways to find their lanes against the Thunder's swarming defense. As for the Thunder, they need to try to replicate this wall-to-wall effort in Game 3, knowing that no lead is ever safe against the Pacers, especially on their home floor. The Thunder did a great job getting multiple players involved, including reserve Alex Caruso, who shined on both ends of the court with great defense as well as being the team's second-leading scorer with 20 points, making four 3-pointers.
Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110
What stood out for the Thunder: Oklahoma City learned a very important lesson in Game 1 of the Finals. No. Lead. Is. Safe. Against. The. Pacers. Ever. The Pacers, who have had multiple historic comebacks this postseason, pulled off the improbable again, storming back from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to take their first lead of the game with 0.3 seconds left after Tyrese Haliburton made a 21-foot pullup jumper to stun the Thunder and their sold-out crowd at Paycom Center. This was the ultimate wake-up call for the Thunder, who held control for over 47 minutes, behind a 38-point performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored twice as many points as any other player on the court. But Haliburton, who has made a name for himself this postseason with three buzzer-beaters and go-ahead buckets heading into the Finals, made the Thunder his latest victim.
What stood out for the Pacers: While Haliburton's late-game heroics have already become playoff lore, it would be nice if he and his team weren't in that position. The Pacers had a whopping 25 turnovers while the Thunder only had seven. They also had 16 fewer field goal attempts than the Thunder. For much of the game, the Pacers struggled to generate much offense against the swarming Thunder defense, with no player on Indiana even scoring 20 points. Even though the Thunder only led by as much as 15 points, it seemed as though their lead was twice as large for much of the game -- until the fourth quarter when the comeback kings did what they do best.
What to expect in Game 2: For the Thunder, they've obviously realized that they need to play all 48 minutes against this Pacers team, which has made it very clear that they never quit. They can't allow the Pacers to go on heaters late in the game, such as when they went on a 12-2 fourth-quarter run to cut their 15-point deficit to just four points. If the Pacers are within striking distance, the opposing team is in trouble. As for the Pacers, while Haliburton is once again the hero of the playoffs, he only scored 14 points. He needs to be much more aggressive offensively for the Pacers to avoid needing to rely on a buzzer-beater. Meanwhile, the Pacers did a great job dominating the boards, where they had a 56-39 advantage. If they can get fewer turnovers and Haliburton gets going early, they could be in a different position in Game 2.
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @ melissarohlin .
recommended
Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Metcalf, Rodgers building rapport at minicamp
PITTSBURGH (BLACK & GOLD NATION) — If Aaron Rodgers is the new sheriff in town, that makes D.K. Metcalf his first deputy. He's a 6-foot-4-inch 27-year-old all pro who may just be the best receiver to wear a Steelers uniform since Antonio Brown. 'I like his whole personality and his approach and the way he is on the field, his professionalism,' said Rodgers of his new WR1. The Steelers traded for Metcalf this offseason and promptly signed him to a 5-year, $150 million extension. In six seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Metcalf posted 900-or-more yards in each season while tallying 48 touchdowns. Steelers unfazed by Watt's absence His best season came in 2020 with Russell Wilson at the helm. He caught 83 passes fir 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns. Success he hopes he can repeat as he is once again reunited with a former MVP (4x) signal caller. 'How quickly he released the ball and me getting off the line of scrimmage fast, I think is one thing that stands out first,' Metcalf said of Rodgers. 'But also his playmaking ability after a play breaks down or hit him, or contort his arm in a different way just to get the ball out. I think he's unique and I think he's going to help not only me, but a lot of receivers and tight ends and in the offense.' Rodgers and Metcalf began working out in March, months before Aaron had even signed with the team. The two met in California where Rodgers lives, something they both hope to continue before traveling to Latrobe. Rodgers in camp and committed to Steelers 'DK's been blowing me up for a while,' said Rodgers. 'You know, we got to get together out west, but I've gone against him a number of times. He's big, athletic, fast. [He's] got great hands, ball skills.' 'I like the way he views the game from a receiver standpoint, but also from a quarterback standpoint,' said Metcalf. 'I think I can gain a lot of knowledge just from being around him because he's seen a lot of football. So, [I'm] just trying to soak a soak up as much, information and ball as I can.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Magic Johnson makes expectations clear for Luka Doncic
The Luka Doncic era has begun for the Los Angeles Lakers. While LeBron James, presumably, has at least one season left with the team, the pressure and expectations of leading the team to success have shifted over to Doncic. In six seasons and change with the Dallas Mavericks, he reached the Western Conference Finals twice and the NBA Finals once. While that may be considered somewhat satisfactory for that franchise, things are much different when they play for the Lakers, a franchise that has won 17 world championships. Magic Johnson, who led the Lakers to five of those championships, made it clear during an appearance on ESPN's "First Take" that the standard of excellence for Doncic in L.A. is the Larry O'Brien Trophy. "Luka gotta understand this is not Dallas. To your point, Kobe [Bryant], superstar who led us, Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) led us to a championship, LeBron led us. And that's what's missing here. We shouldn't have to tell you to be in shape, you should have been about that, right? Especially when you're a superstar. So this is gonna be an important year for the Lakers, important offseason for the Lakers." So far this offseason, Doncic has looked noticeably thinner, which is certainly a good sign. Assuming the Lakers improve the rest of their roster, it will now be on Doncic to lead the way, both on and off the court, along with James, as they continue to seek their 18th NBA title. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle It won't be enough for Doncic to continue to put up insane numbers — he needs to consistently deliver in crunch time, something he didn't do enough of since joining the team, and especially during the postseason. That is what true Lakers greats such as Bryant, O'Neal, Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did in the past and what James did during the franchise's last championship season five years ago.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Thunder have been here before, down 2-1 in these playoffs, do they have another comeback in them?
INDIANAPOLIS — Oklahoma City has been here before. Just a month ago, the Thunder trailed the Nuggets 2-1 and had to win Game 4 on the road to stay in that series. They did it in a grinding, at times sloppy game, where Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins sparked a fourth-quarter run and comeback that gave OKC the win and showed they could win gritty, tough games. Advertisement Indiana is a very different team — don't expect Game 4 of the NBA Finals to be a grinding and slow affair — but having done this before gives Oklahoma City confidence that it can do it again. "We've been here before. Got to bounce back. Get the car back on the road," Wallace said. "Yeah, it feels a lot similar," Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added. "Obviously losing Game 1 on a buzzer-beater, winning big Game 2, being up in Game 3 and losing the lead. There's a lot of similarities... "But at the end of the day, we have to be who we are and who we've been all season. I think we got back to that in that series. If we want to give ourselves a chance in this series, it has to be the same thing." Advertisement Being themselves meant a couple of things to the Thunder. One was not turning the ball over, something they did 19 times in their Game 3 loss. Three of those were backcourt turnovers. "Yeah, we turned the ball over at a high rate the last game," Wallace said. "We got to turn that over." The Thunder also played more in isolation in Game 3 than they would have liked, with the assists and ball movement that had defined their run to the NBA Finals fading in the face of more intense and focused defensive pressure from the Pacers. "I think we played on their terms more than we played on our terms of how we wanted the game to be and to flow," Alex Caruso said." I think that was apparent just with the runs that they went on when they played well." Advertisement A large part of disrupting the Thunder's flow and limiting their assists has been the impressive Pacers' transition defense. "Some of it's been our transition, I think. I think we do a lot of damage there that we haven't gotten in this series so far," Thunder coach Daigneault said. The Pacers have been here, too — they have led every team these playoffs by 2-1. They also won Game 4 in every round. Indiana needs to do that again on Friday night, or this will be a best-of-three series where Oklahoma City will have momentum and home court advantage. "We're excited to play another game in front of our home crowd, approach this game the same way we approached yesterday," Tyrese Haliburton said. "Just control what we can. I think the biggest thing is just playing hard. If we can do that, we can figure everything out from there. Advertisement "There's no need to get super giddy or excited. There's still a lot of work to be done." If the Pacers can do that work in Game 4 in front of their raucous home crowd, they will be in command of this series.
