The Indiana Pacers nabbed a crucial victory in NBA Finals Game 3, and fans can breathe easy, for now. Point guard Tyrese Haliburton led the win with a near triple-double, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116–107 on their home court. The Pacers now lead the series 2–1 and are just two victories away from their first-ever NBA title.
While Indy had the home-court advantage, the loss has not gone down well with the Thunder’s fans. After all, OKC has the league’s best defensive unit this season. Their MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, delivered one of the most revealing postgame moments, shedding light on what truly went wrong for the Thunder in Game 3.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reveals Key Mistakes in Game 3 Loss to Pacers
SGA had a decent stat line but couldn’t turn the tide. They started strong, gaining the edge in the first quarter, but gradually fell behind under the pressure of the Pacers’ relentless attack.
A reporter asked Alexander, “Shai, Mark said he didn’t feel like their strategy defensively on you changed much, but their execution was more on point. What did you see from them defensively? What impact did that have on the turnovers you had tonight?”
“They were aggressive. They were high in the pick-and-rolls,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They really were, like Coach said, more aggressive, more forceful. It starts with me, but we gotta apply that pressure back.”
The MVP finished with 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. However, he also committed 6 turnovers, many of which were caused by Indiana’s swarming backcourt defense. The Pacers were especially physical in the fourth quarter, where they outscored the Thunder 32–18. That final push sealed the win and brought Indiana closer to a historic championship.
This Is How the Thunder Fell Off Despite Strong Starts
Even though Shai got off to a slow start, the Thunder’s bench player Chet Holmgren backed the Thunder to a 32-24 first-quarter lead. However, the Pacers turned the tables against OKC’s top-ranked defense in the second quarter, scoring 40 points.
With the help of their home crowd, Indiana’s role players played better than Oklahoma City’s bench. Coach Rick Carlisle entered halftime up 64–60 after completely shifting the momentum.
The Thunder took the lead again in the third quarter thanks to Jalen Williams and SGA, but Indiana controlled the fourth. As the Pacers tightened their defense and took advantage of Oklahoma City’s mistakes, T.J. McConnell’s steal-and-score set off a 32-18 fourth quarter. Indiana now needs just two more wins to nab their first NBA title.
