The Indiana Pacers surged past the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 116-107 victory on Wednesday night to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals, MySportDab Reports.
Led by Tyrese Haliburton’s near triple-double performance—22 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists—the Pacers mounted a strong second-half comeback fueled by their bench.
Bennedict Mathurin scored a career playoff-high 27 points, while veteran TJ McConnell added 10 points and five steals as Indiana’s reserves outscored Oklahoma City’s bench 49-18.
Pascal Siakam chipped in with 21 points as Indiana improved to 10-0 in games following a loss since March 11.
“We just had guys make plays after plays,” Haliburton told ABC. “Ben Mathurin was amazing off the bench tonight.”
The Thunder were led by Jalen Williams with 26 points, while league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander managed 24, but only three in the fourth quarter. Chet Holmgren added 20 points and 10 rebounds, though Oklahoma City’s 19 turnovers proved costly, resulting in 21 points for the Pacers.
The Thunder started fast, racing to a 15-6 lead and holding an eight-point advantage after the first quarter. Indiana clawed back in the second, taking a 64-60 lead into halftime after key buckets from Haliburton and McConnell.
The teams traded blows in the third before the Thunder carried an 89-84 lead into the final quarter.
But the Pacers took over down the stretch. Haliburton’s three-pointer gave Indiana the lead for good with 6:42 remaining. Obi Toppin’s dunk and block on Williams helped seal it as Indiana outscored OKC 32-18 in the fourth.
Game 4 is set for Friday in Indianapolis, where the Pacers aim to take a commanding 3-1 lead as they continue their pursuit of a first-ever NBA championship.
