Indiana Pacers triumphed over the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107, gaining a 2-1 advantage in the NBA Finals.
Tyrese Haliburton commended the collective effort of the team tallied 22 points, along with 11 assists and nine rebounds, as the Pacers came back from a five-point deficit heading into the final quarter of game three in the seven-game series.
The Pacers’ bench outscored the Thunder 49-18, with contributor Bennedict Mathurin netting 27 points at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“There were so many contributors,” stated Haliburton. “Ben Mathurin was phenomenal off the bench.
We had players continuously making impactful plays.”Mathurin commented: “The key is to remain strong. You need to take the initiative to claim victories.”
Related Articles:
- LeBron James’ Clutch Tip-In Lifts Lakers to victory, snaps losing streak
- Doncic helps Lakers level series against Minnesota
- LeBron James makes basketball history
The Pacers entered the contest following a 123-107 loss in game two, maintaining their streak of not suffering back-to-back defeats since March.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, scored 24 points for the Thunder but managed only three points in the final quarter.
Jalen Williams led the visitors with 26 points, while Chet Holmgren added 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a Thunder team that committed 19 turnovers, which resulted in 21 points for the Pacers.
“I felt they simply outperformed us on both sides in the fourth quarter,” remarked Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.
Game four is scheduled to occur at the same location at 20:30 local time on Friday (01:30 BST, Saturday).
