Indiana can hear it now — the sound of possibility, of history, of a long wait perhaps nearing its end.
The Pacers are two wins away from the franchise’s first title, and have a chance to move even closer when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Saturday, June 14 (PH time).
Tip-off is at 8:30 a.m.
The Pacers win their first Finals home game in 25 years to take a 2-1 series lead 🏁
— NBA (@NBA) June 12, 2025
The #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV continue Friday at 8:30pm/et on ABC!
Indiana holds a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series after a pivotal 116-107 win in Game 3, and now aims to take a commanding 3-1 advantage before the series shifts back to Oklahoma City for Game 5.
[ALSO READ: Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers' bench shine in Game 3 vs Thunder for 2-1 NBA Finals lead]
Tyrese Haliburton powered the Pacers with a near triple-double of 22 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds, while Pascal Siakam chipped in 21. But it was Indiana’s bench that made the difference.
Bennedict Mathurin erupted for a playoff career-high 27 points in 22 minutes — the most off the bench in an NBA Finals game since Jason Terry scored 27 in 2011.
T.J. McConnell added 10 points, five assists, and five steals, becoming the first player off the bench to reach those numbers in an NBA Finals game since those stats began being officially tracked.
[ALSO READ: Rick Carlisle marvels at ‘team-first’ Pacers after regaining NBA Finals control vs Thunder]
Indiana’s defense also rose to the occasion as they forced 19 OKC turnovers, collected 13 steals, and blocked 11 shots, while holding the Thunder to just 35% shooting in the fourth quarter.
History favors Indiana. In 41 previous NBA Finals that were tied 1-1, the Game 3 winner went on to capture the title 33 times — an 80.5% success rate.
The question is: Can the Pacers defend home court anew and put the Thunder on the brink?
Game 4 will be aired on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, and the Pilipinas Live app.
(With reports from Pao Ambat)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]
