Tyrese Haliburton has heard all the noise.
That he needed to be more aggressive early, after back-to-back quiet first halves in the NBA Finals.
That he needed to take more shots and assert himself more consistently for the Indiana Pacers.
On the franchise’s first NBA Finals home game in 25 years, Haliburton delivered — and the Pacers' bench did serious damage, too.
Haliburton flirted with a triple-double, while Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell paced a riveting bench mob in a 116-107 Indiana dub over the OKC Thunder in Game 3 for a 2-1 lead, Thursday (PH time), June 12.
DIDN'T BACK DOWN 😤😤#PacersWin
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 12, 2025
Trailing 89-84 to start the fourth, the Pacers ignited a key 17-9 run capped off by a Haliburton three to take a 101-98 lead with 8:42 seconds left.
Hali BIG triple in the 4th 👌
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 12, 2025
Reggie Miller LOVING it on the sidelines 👏 pic.twitter.com/6BQ5U3dWYk
Indiana would eventually hold on en route to moving two wins away from winning their first title since joining the league in 1979.
THE PACERS WIN THE FIRST FINALS GAME IN INDY IN 25 YEARS 🚨🚨
— NBA (@NBA) June 12, 2025
THEY TAKE A 2-1 SERIES LEAD!!
Haliburton, who averaged just 15.5 points in the first two games of the title series, put up a stellar all-around game of 22 markers, 11 assists, and nine rebounds in 34 minutes.
The perfect skip pass by Haliburton,
— NBA (@NBA) June 12, 2025
The buried triple by Nesmith.
Pacers lead by 8 with under 3 minutes to go in Game 3 on ABC 👀
But as good as Haliburton was, Indiana would not regain control of the series without the stellar plays of their reserves led by Mathurin and McConnell.
MATHURIN FOR 25 AND A NEW PLAYOFF CAREER HIGH!
— NBA (@NBA) June 12, 2025
Gives the @Pacers the lead in the 4th 🔥🍿
Mathurin came off the bench to fire a playoff career-high 27 points, while McConnell provided the grit and tenacity on both ends of the floor with 10 markers, five assists, and five steals. Together, they outscored the entire Thunder bench (18) while also forcing OKC to commit 10 turnovers that led to 21 Indiana points.
T.J. MCCONNELL ALL-OUT HUSTLE SEQUENCE!!
— NBA (@NBA) June 12, 2025
Crafty dime.
Poke the ball out.
Force the turnover.
That Game 3 of the Finals EFFORT 😤😤
Game 4 is set on Saturday (PH time), June 14, with the Pacers aiming for a commanding 3-1 cushion.
Meanwhile, Jalen Williams top-scored for the Thunder with 26 points, while reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 in a losing effort.
STAR GUARDS GOING AT IT ??
— NBA (@NBA) June 12, 2025
?? Shai spin & lay
?? Haliburton dime
?? Shai dime
?? Haliburton floater
?? Haliburton triple
Chet Holmgren fired 13 of his 20 points in the opening frame to go along with 10 rebounds, but OKC missed seven free throws overall and committed the most turnovers they’ve had in the playoffs.
(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.]
