THE HOUSE ROARED. THE PACERS RESPONDED. GAME 3 WAS A STATEMENT.

INDIANAPOLIS — You could hear it in the crowd. You could feel it in the air. This was not just another Finals game. This was a city rising with its team.

On a night when Gainbridge Fieldhouse transformed into a basketball cathedral, the Indiana Pacers took the floor with fire and sent a clear message. They were not just here to compete. They were here to take control.

Final score: Pacers 116, Thunder 107. The series now sits at 2–1 in favor of Indiana. Momentum has changed sides.

Photo Via AP Photo/Michael Conroy

BENNEDICT MATHURIN BLEW THE ROOF OFF

Let’s just call it what it was. A star-making performance.

Coming off the bench, Mathurin exploded for 27 points. He attacked the rim with purpose. He knocked down jumpers without hesitation. And when he flexed to the crowd after a clutch bucket, Gainbridge nearly erupted.

This was not just a big game. This was his moment.

Indiana’s bench outscored Oklahoma City’s by a staggering margin of 49 to 18. That gap changed the game. That was the difference.

TYRESE HALIBURTON CONTROLLED EVERYTHING

While the energy in the building reached new heights, Haliburton stayed calm and composed.

He delivered 22 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds while running the game with the poise of a ten-year veteran. Every Thunder run was met with a smart pass or a timely floater. He dictated tempo. He made the right reads. He kept Indiana steady.

This was not just a good game from Haliburton. It was a Finals performance that silenced any doubt about his ability to lead on the biggest stage.

THE THUNDER FELL INTO THE STORM

Oklahoma City entered with confidence. They left searching for answers.

Photo Via Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points. Jalen Williams added 26. Yet the Thunder turned the ball over 19 times. Their bench gave them next to nothing. And when Indiana turned up the intensity in the fourth quarter, the Thunder lost their rhythm and never found it again.

This was the first time Oklahoma City looked like the youngest team in the Finals. That lack of composure cost them.

CRUNCH TIME BELONGED TO INDIANA

With the score tied at 89 and under nine minutes remaining, the game could have gone either way.

Photo Via Photo Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Indiana made sure it only went one. A 32 to 18 closing run buried the Thunder. Every loose ball went Indiana’s way. Every big shot came from a Pacer. The defense locked in, and the crowd turned into fuel.

This was not luck. This was not a fluke. This was a battle-tested team closing on the biggest stage.

NOW WHAT? A SERIES HANGS IN THE BALANCE

The entire dynamic has shifted.

Indiana has the momentum:

• Their bench is dominating.

• Haliburton is steering the ship.

• Mathurin is becoming a Finals difference-maker.

Oklahoma City has questions:

• Can SGA get help?

• Can they protect the ball?

• Will their second unit respond?

Game 4 is no longer optional. It is mandatory for the Thunder. If they lose again in Indianapolis, they will face a 3–1 hole. And that is the kind of hole that buries even the best.

Photo Via Photo Via Derick E. Hingle/Getty Images

Oklahoma City’s margin for mistake is gone

Oklahoma City came in with hype. With youth. With promise. Now they are chasing the series.

Indiana came in with grit. With hunger. With belief. Now they are halfway to a title that no one outside of Indiana saw coming.

This is no longer a feel-good story. This is reality. And the Thunder need to wake up before the Pacers run away with the Finals.

Eli Saari

@SSN_NBA On X

@ThatManChe On X

@Sidelines_SN On X