Game 3: Pacers rally in the 4th, beat Thunder 116-107 to take 2-1 lead in NBA Finals
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bennedict Mathurin scored 27 points off the bench, Tyrese Haliburton added 22 and the Indiana Pacers reclaimed the lead in the NBA Finals by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 in Game 3 on Wednesday night.
Haliburton also had 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Pacers, who got 21 points from Pascal Siakam and enjoyed a whopping 49-18 edge in bench points. The Pacers, who lost Game 2 in Oklahoma City, improved to 10-0 since mid-March in the game immediately following a loss.
"So many different guys chipped in," Haliburton said.
Jalen Williams scored 26 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 and Chet Holmgren had 20 for the Thunder, who led by five going into the fourth.
Game 4 is back in Indiana on Friday night.
History says the Pacers are in control of the series now; in the 41 previous NBA Finals that were tied at a game apiece, the Game 3 winner went on to hoist the trophy 33 times — an 80.5% clip.
Advantage, Pacers.
It was back-and-forth much of the way, at times looking like an absolute classic. There were 15 ties; to put that in perspective, there were 13 ties in the five-game entirety of last year's finals between Boston and Dallas. The last time there was a finals game with more ties: Game 1 between Cleveland in Golden State in 2018, which was knotted 17 times.
TJ McConnell finished with 10 points, five assists and five steals for Indiana; since all those stats started being charted, nobody had ever come off the bench and done all that in an NBA Finals game.
'We just had guys make plays after plays,' Haliburton said. 'Our bench was amazing.'
The Pacers' Aaron Nesmith fouled Alex Caruso — a hard foul, for certain — with 2:35 left, and officials took a long look to determine if it met the criteria for a flagrant foul. A common foul was the final call and instead of two free throws plus the ball, it was just two free throws for Caruso. He made both, cutting the lead to 110-104.
But the Pacers — at home in an NBA Finals game for the first time in 25 years — kept control the rest of the way.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
recommended
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
13 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Full-time dentist, part-time amateur Matt Vogt's US Open homecoming ends with a kick in the teeth
Associated Press OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Matt Vogt's dream-like week heading up to his somewhat unlikely journey to the U.S. Open at a course he once caddied at ended with what felt, perhaps fittingly, like a trip to the dentist's office. The 34-year-old amateur — a Pittsburgh-area native who has a dental practice in the Indianapolis suburbs — had the honors early Thursday morning, taking the opening shot of the national championship's 10th visit to Oakmont. Vogt knew full well the danger of going right. Wanting to avoid putting the ball along Hulton Road, he instead pulled it left. Way left. His 337-yard blast ended up on the edge of the adjoining ninth fairway. He somehow managed to save par, which ended up being one of the few bright spots on a day in which he shot 12-over 82. 'You just can't make physical and mental errors, you can like get away sometimes with one or the other, but you can't get away with both,' he said. 'And you just get behind the eight ball out here and honestly, your head starts spinning. That's honestly what it feels like. Your head starts spinning out here and it just gets away from you.' While Vogt who grew up about 30 minutes northwest of Oakmont, tried to tell himself he had 'zero expectations" after going through qualifying to make the 156-man field. Still, he was hoping to do a little better at the sprawling, links-like course than he did here at the 2021 U.S. Amateur, when he also shot in the 80s. Instead, he spent some time on the practice range Thursday afternoon, searching for something — anything really — to build on. 'I came into such optimism for this golf course, but it is so hard,' he said. 'It's just so, so hard. I'd say, in the moment, you feel like you get punched in the face, you know?' Youth is served Mason Howell not only is the youngest player in the field, he got to Oakmont with the lowest scores. The 17-year-old from Georgia had a 64 in local qualifying, and then rounds of 63-63 at Piedmont Driving Club to lead the five players out of Atlanta. The U.S. Open was different. Howell didn't make a birdie on his way to a 7-over 77. He was asked to compare the nerves of contending for a state high school title and playing Oakmont before a sellout. 'It's definitely way more here, like 10 times the people ... way more than that, actually,' Howell said. 'But high school golf and major championships are just a little bit different.' The closest Howell came to making birdie was on No. 1, his 10th hole of the day. He missed a putt just inside 10 feet. Still, it was an experience he wouldn't trade. 'It's definitely special off the first tee,' he said. 'First tee of a major, you're always juiced up and amped up. I was just ready to get started all week. Now I just don't want it to end.' History, and a humbling, for Lowry Shane Lowry had to smile a bit after holing out from 160 yards for an eagle on the par-4 third at Oakmont. That wasn't nearly enough to salvage a brutal first round for the Irishman. Lowry shot a 9-over 79, which included five bogeys, three double bogeys — and that history-making shot on No. 3. His eagle two was the first in U.S. Open history on that hole at Oakmont. Lowry started on No. 10, so by the time he reached No. 3, he was already 6 over on the day. Even the pars on Lowry's scorecard weren't necessarily routine. On No. 17, his tee shot went into the rough next to the green. His second shot didn't make it out of the rough. His third rolled across the green to the fringe on the other side. Then he chipped in from there. Pinball wizard Tony Finau's best par of the day looked more like pinball than golf. His second shot on the par-4 18th hole clanked off a sprinkler head at the back of the green, then into the grandstand, where it nearly hit a spectator, who reached down to pick it up before thinking better of that. Finau got a drop in front of the grandstand, then hit a towering flop shot that still rolled 41 feet away from the back hole location. But he made it to save par -- a rare highlight on a day when he shot 6-over 76. Wherever he may roam Thriston Lawrence gets around a lot. Maybe that's why it didn't take him long to get comfortable during his first trip to Oakmont. The South African, who put together a 3-under 67 to find himself one shot back of early leader J.J. Spaun, doesn't currently have a 'home base.' Lawrence is in his first full season on the PGA Tour — where he's made just 2 of 11 cuts — but returned to the DP World Tour to play a couple of events ahead of the U.S. Open. The lifestyle isn't new to the 28-year-old, who remembers playing upwards of 30 events a year when he was in elementary school. Asked if he gets homesick, he shrugged. 'I mean, it's not nice,' he said. 'I would love to be home.' That's not in the cards at the moment. Sometimes he crashes in Florida at DP World Tour member Thomas Aiken's house. Sometimes he just logs into Airbnb to see what's available, something that helps him 'not get attached.' 'It would be nice to get something, but I'm not yet sure where that is for now," he said. ___ AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson, AP National Writer Eddie Pell and AP Sports Writer Noah Trister contributed to this report. ___ AP golf: recommended
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA insider explains why Sacramento Kings traded Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana Pacers instead of De'Aaron Fox
The Sacramento Kings helped turn the Indiana Pacers into a perennial contender in the Eastern Conference, all stemming from the blockbuster Tyrese Haliburton trade. Now, new information has emerged o why Sacramento traded Haliburton instead of De'Aaron Fox. According to Jon Krawczynski and James Edwards III of The Athletic, the Kings did explore trading Fox in 2022 before moving Haliburton to the Pacers in exchange for Domantas Sabonis. However, negotiations with Indiana quickly made it clear there was zero interest in Fox. Advertisement Related: Insider addresses the likelihood of Sacramento Kings rebuilding this summer Tyrese Haliburton stats (Sacramento Kings): 13.6 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.4 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 46.5% FG, 41.1% 3PT, .102 Win Shares per 48 Minutes in 109 games played As noted by Krawczynski and Edwards III, Sacramento first offered Indiana a deal for Sabonis centered around Fox. The Pacers' front office immediately made it clear that 'the only real avenue' toward a deal would require Haliburton to be the centerpiece of the trade. At the time of the deal, Fox was averaging just 21 points and 5.2 assists per game, shooting 24.8 percent from the perimeter and struggling to live up to his $160 million contract. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle wanted a point guard who could 'push the pace' and be a high-end facilitator, Fox didn't provide that. Related: 2025 NBA Draft order, Sacramento Kings draft picks 2025 Tyrese Haliburton stats (Indiana Pacers): 19.5 PPG, 10.1 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 48.2% FG, 38.6% 3PT, 1.93 Win Shares per 48 Minutes in 224 games played Advertisement While the Kings' front office was hammered by NBA analysts and executives for trading Haliburton, the early returns were relatively positive. Fox earned his first All-Star selection and won Comeback Player of the Year during the 2022-'23 season and Sabonis helped the franchise snap one of the longest playoff droughts in NBA history. It spiraled after that. Fox requested a trade in January, limiting the team's options by making it clear he only wanted to be dealt to the San Antonio Spurs. Sacramento's long-standing infatuation with Zach LaVine led to him being the centerpiece of the deal. With LaVine providing just a minor push over a disgruntled Fox, the Kings made it into the NBA Play-In Tournament and forfeited their top-12 protected first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks. Now, the general manager behind both trades is gone with Fox and Haliburton clearly in better situations for success than they would've had in Sacramento. As the Pacers and Spurs move forward as perennial contenders, the Kings seem to be headed toward another long-term rebuild. Related Headlines
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Top 5 Young Cores in the NBA Right Now, Including the Detroit Pistons
These five NBA teams have built foundations that could put them in title contention for years to come. Here's a look at the 5 most exciting and promising young cores set up to dominate the future of the NBA. Honorable Mention: Indiana Pacers Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Notable young talent: Tyrese Haliburton (25), Andrew Nembhard (25), Aaron Nesmith (25) Advertisement Given the Pacers' impressive run to this year's NBA Finals, they had to be mentioned. With their superstar in Tyrese Haliburton being only 25 years old, this team has an immensely bright future. With a young core as a supporting cast, we likely haven't seen the Pacers' best basketball yet. But with significant contributions from NBA vets Pascal Siakam (31) and Myles Turner (29), the Pacers fall just outside the list. Also Read: NBA insider explains why Sacramento Kings traded Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana Pacers instead of De'Aaron Fox 5. Orlando Magic Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Notable young talent: Paolo Banchero (22), Franz Wagner (23), Anthony Black (22) Advertisement With back-to-back playoff appearances, the Magic are set up for future success. Led by a future All-NBA talent in Paolo Banchero, the Magic have a talented surrounding young core that will only get better with time. The upcoming season will be a huge test for the Magic as they will look to advance further than the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season. 4. Detroit Pistons Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Notable young talent: Cade Cunningham (23), Jalen Duren (21), Ausar Thompson (22), Jaden Ivy (23), After a league-worst 14-68 record last year, Pistons star Cade Cunningham led the team to the 6-seed in the Eastern Conference and gave the New York Knicks a great battle in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. With four legitimate foundational players in Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, and Jaden Ivy all being 23 or younger, this roster has the potential to be scary good. The future is bright in Detroit. 3. Houston Rockets Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images Notable young talent: Jalen Green (23), Amen Thompson (22), Alperen Şengün (22), Jabari Smith Jr. (22) Advertisement Despite a disappointing playoff showing, the Houston Rockets finished as the 2 seed in the tight Western Conference race. This team is a deep, athletic scoring threat that has immense young talent on the defensive side of the ball as well. Şengün has drawn comparisons to Nikola Jokić, proving that the upside for him and this team could be at a championship level. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back after being upset in the first round of the playoffs by Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. 2. San Antonio Spurs Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images Notable young talent: Victor Wembanyama (21), Stephon Castle (20), Devin Vassell (24), De'Aaron Fox (27) Advertisement The Spurs are nearly number one on the list based on Victor Wembanyama alone. He is a generational talent with future MVP upside. As he develops, there is no limit to the ceiling of this team's success. The Spurs also have this year's Rookie of the Year in Stephon Castle. With back-to-back Rookie of the Year's in San Antonio, a strong supporting young cast, and this year's number 2 pick in the NBA draft, the Spurs' future will be exciting to watch. Related: Philadelphia 76ers rumors suggest big move coming in 2025 NBA Draft 1. Oklahoma City Thunder Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Notable young talent: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26), Jalen Williams (24), Chet Holmgren (23), Cason Wallace (21) Advertisement The heavy favorites to win this year's NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder, are arguably the most talented team in the league, regardless of age. With SGA winning the MVP at only 26 years old, and Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren being 24 and 23 years old, respectively, the Thunder have a legit big three that isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Not to mention, they have one of the deepest benches in the league. And are tied for the youngest average player age in the league at 24 years old. The Thunder will be a premier championship contender for years to come. Also Read: 50 Best NBA players right now: Where do Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton land? Related Headlines
