INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers played their best game of the NBA Finals in Game 3. Tyrese Haliburton delivered his best overall performance of the series, and Bennedict Mathurin emerged as the Pacers’ unexpected hero.
Playing in front of their revved-up home crowd in a Finals game for the first time since 2000, the Pacers defeated Oklahoma City 116-107 Wednesday, June 11, to take a 2-1 series lead.
Just when it looks like one team has solved the other in the Finals, the narrative flips. The Pacers are not just here to watch the Thunder coronation. Far from it.
The Pacers took control of the game midway through the fourth quarter on a Haliburton 3-pointer, built a 110-102 lead with 3:04 remaining and locked up the victory.
In Game 3, Indiana had its biggest lead (nine points) and led for its longest stretch (the final 6:42 of the fourth quarter) in these NBA Finals.
Haliburton had 22 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and two steals, and Mathurin provided a massive lift off the bench with 14 of his team-high 27 points in the second quarter. His 3-pointer with 8:02 left in the fourth put the Pacers up 98-96, and they never trailed from that point.
Pascal Siakam had 21 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Pacers, who outscored the Thunder 49-18 in bench points. T.J. McConnell had 10 points, five assists and five steals, and Obi Toppin added eight points, six rebounds and two blocks off the bench.
It was a tremendous game, start to finish. Indiana played with more force and aggressiveness. The Pacers’ depth canceled out Oklahoma City’s depth and prevented NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from dominating.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks, Chet Holmgren had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Jalen Williams scored 26 for the Thunder, who shot 46.8% from the field and 10-for-22 on 3s.
Teams that win Game 3 of a 1-1 NBA Finals go on to win the series 80.5% of the time (33-8)
Game 4 is Friday, June 13 in Indianapolis (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
NBA Finals Game 3 highlights: Pacers 116, Thunder 107
Indiana has taken a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals. Check out full stats from Game 3 here and highlights below:
Obi Toppin putback dunk
Toppin went soaring to give the Pacers a seven-point lead with over four minutes to go.
End of third quarter: Thunder 89, Pacers 84
The Oklahoma City Thunder scored the first eight points of the third quarter, the Pacers responded, but the Thunder were the ones to close the period on a run.
All of it sets up what could be a tight finish in the crucial Game 3 of the NBA Finals, with the winner of Game 3 in a 1-1 series going on to win 80.5% of the time.
Right now, it’s the Thunder who are carrying an 89-84 advantage into the fourth.
The Pacers have flipped the script from the first two games, doing a much better job of protecting the ball while forcing the Thunder into turnovers; after losing the turnover battle by 19 combined in Games 1 and 2, the Pacers have committed just nine turnovers, compared to Oklahoma City’s 14.
Still, Oklahoma City’s three best players — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren — have combined for 59 points on 20-of-40 shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander has 21 and Williams has added 20.
Similarly, Pacers stars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam have 19 and 17, respectively, while backup shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin has added 19.
Halftime: Pacers 64, Thunder 60
The Indiana Pacers have found their rhythm.
Indiana outscored the Thunder by 12 in the second quarter, erasing the eight-point deficit it faced at the start of the period, to take a 64-60 lead into the half.
The Pacers bench has been stellar, sparking the turnaround. Indiana’s bench is outscoring Oklahoma City’s 30-11.
Backup guard Bennedict Mathurin was one of the instant catalysts off the bench, scoring 14 points, while backup point guard T.J. McConnell added six points, four assists and three steals. The best sign for the Pacers, however, was the aggression shown by star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who attacked and got to his spot to hit a few floaters and 3-pointers; he has 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting and seven assists.
The Thunder shooting cooled off some in the second quarter, going just 9-of-21 (42.9%) in the period. Compare that to Indiana’s mark in the second period: 14-of-23, or 60.9%.
Thunder center Chet Holmgren leads all OKC players with 15 points, though he scored just two in the second quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
Pacers take first lead
The Pacers took full advantage of the non-SGA minutes.
With NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting a breather to start the second quarter, Indiana got massive contributions from its own bench to claim its first lead of the game, 39-36.
This, for those wondering, is Indiana’s largest lead of the series.
T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin are leading the charge, with Indiana’s bench outscoring Oklahoma City’s 19-0. McConnell has just two points but four assists, and Mathurin has poured in nine points in just 4:33 on the floor.
Gilgeous-Alexander has returned to floor.
Chet Holmgren height
Holmgren is listed at 7-foot-1. He’s averaging 10.5 points, 6 rebounds and 1 block through the first two games of the 2025 NBA Finals, down from his regular-season average of 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 32 regular season games (all starts).
End of first quarter: Thunder 32, Pacers 24
Looking to reclaim homecourt advantage, the Oklahoma City Thunder started Game 3 like a team looking to steal one on the road.
The Thunder have opened a 32-24 lead through one, shooting 55% from the floor. Although NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did score a modest six points in the period, it was the contributions of center Chet Holmgren (13 points on 4-of-5 shooting) and Luguentz Dort (nine points on three made 3-pointers) that got the Thunder going.
The Pacers did reasonably well on offense in the first quarter, shooting 50%, but their transition defense at times yielded easy opportunities for Oklahoma City. Another area where Indiana struggled was keeping the Thunder off the line; while both teams put up 20 shot attempts in the period, Pacers fouls led to eight free throw attempts for OKC, which converted seven of those. The Pacers, by comparison, were just 2-of-4 from the stripe.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was aggressive early on, scoring Indiana’s first three field goals, but his final shot attempt of the period came with 9:01 to play. Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton scored five points but recorded four assists to get his teammates going.
Thunder off to fast start
Game 3 started just the way the first two did: with the Thunder red hot to start and the Pacers slow out of the gate.
Oklahoma City drained six of its first nine attempts (66.7%), opening up a quick nine-point lead, 15-6, through the first four-and-a-half minutes of play.
Thunder center Chet Holmgren’s struggles from Game 1 feel rather distant, as he has made all three of his attempts, leading all scorers with eight points.
Indiana, meanwhile, has looked to get forward Pascal Siakam going, and he has six quick points on 3-of-4 shooting. The only issue? The rest of the team is 0-for-3 and does not have a single point.
Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston highlight star-studded crowd
Indiana Fever teammates Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard are in the building. One day after the Fever’s 77-58 road loss to the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, Clark, Boston and Howard returned to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to cheer on their NBA counterparts in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. It’s not the first game Clark has attended this postseason — she cheered on the Pacers during the team’s Game 6 win over the Knicks to clinch the Eastern Conference title.
The Fever stars are simply returning the favor. Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers attended the Fever’s opening night win over the Chicago Sky on May 17. The Fever next host the New York Liberty at home on Saturday. Clark is nursing a left quad strain that has sidelined her for five games and it’s not clear if she’ll play this weekend.
Clark is not the only star in the house. Former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee, “America’s Got Talent” host Terry Crews and NBA legend Oscar Robertson were among the celebrities in attendance.
What jersey is Reggie Miller wearing?
Reggie Miller is in the crowd in Indiana, supporting the Pacers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Miller was sporting former teammate Mark Jackson’s No. 13 jersey on Wednesday. Miller spent all 18 seasons of his professional career with the Pacers in the No. 31 jersey before retiring in 2005 and becoming a color commentator and analyst for TNT. He played with Jackson on the Pacers for parts of six seasons, including 1999-2000 when the Pacers last reached the NBA Finals.
Miller was on the call for the Eastern Conference finals between the Pacers and New York Knicks.
National anthem before NBA Finals Game 3
Michael Kang sang the national anthem before Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Kang is a mandolin and violin player for The String Cheese Incident, an American jam band from Colorado that formed in 1993. He is a longtime friend of Steve Simon, the son of Pacers owner Herb Simon.
The group is scheduled to begin a tour on Thursday, starting in Maine.
What time is Thunder vs Pacers game today?
The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Indiana Pacers for Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.
Where to watch Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 3
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana)
TV: ABC
Stream: Fubo, Sling TV
Watch the NBA Finals with Fubo
Where is Game 3 between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder?
The Indiana Pacers host the Oklahoma City Thunder at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
NBA Finals streaming: How to watch Thunder vs Pacers Game 3
Game 3 between the Thunder and Pacers is available on ABC. Fans can also stream the action with Sling TV and Fubo, which offers a free trial for new users.
Thunder vs Pacers Game 3 TV channel
The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Indiana Pacers at 8:30 p.m. ET with coverage on ABC.
OKC Thunder starting lineup tonight
Lu Dort
Jalen Williams
Chet Holmgren
Cason Wallace
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Indiana Pacers starting lineup tonight
Aaron Nesmith
Pascal Siakam
Myles Turner
Andrew Nembhard
Tyrese Haliburton
Indiana Pacers injury report
How many Finals have the Thunder won?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have one NBA Championship. However, it came in 1979 when the team was the Seattle SuperSonics. It has not won a title since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008.
How many Finals have the Pacers won?
The Indiana Pacers have not won an NBA Championship. It has two Eastern Conference titles (2000, 2025).
NBA Finals matchup: SGA vs Haliburton
The 2025 NBA Finals is, in many ways, a celebration of the point guard.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player and the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar, and Tyrese Haliburton, the pass-first point guard with a penchant in the clutch, are each franchise’s hope to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Though they likely won’t match up directly all the time, the responsibility of guarding the other likely falling to more specialized defenders, Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton are reshaping the image of the point guard in the modern NBA.
USA TODAY’s Jeff Zillgitt and Lorenzo Reyes look at the Pacers and Thunder’s biggest stars.
NBA 3-pointer reigns supreme for championship teams
The NBA’s 3-point shot has enemies.
Too many 3s, they say. The shot is ruining the game, they say.
And those critics of the 3-point shot found ammunition in the Eastern Conference semifinals of this season’s playoffs when the Boston Celtics attempted 60 3-pointers and missed 45 against the New York Knicks. The guffawing ignored the fact that Boston’s 3-point shooting was instrumental in its 2023-24 championship season and in its 61-21 record this season.
Regardless of your aesthetic view of how basketball should be played and what it should look like, the 3-point shot has turned divisive but remains vital to winning championships.
USA TODAY’s Jeff Zillgitt takes a deeper look at this divisive shot.
Thunder roster 2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Chet Holmgren
Jalen Williams
Luguentz Dort
Alex Caruso
Isaiah Joe
Cason Wallace
Jaylin Williams
Aaron Wiggins
Kenrich Williams
Isaiah Hartenstein
Ousmane Diang
Nikola Topic
Ajay Mitchell
Dillon Jones
Indiana Pacers roster for NBA Finals
Tyrese Haliburton
Pascal Siakam
Myles Turner
Benedict Mathurin
Obi Toppin
Andrew Nebhard
Aaron Nesmith
T.J. McConnell
Isaiah Jackson
Jarace Walker
Ben Sheppard
Johnny Furphy
James Johnson
Thomas Bryant
Tyrese Haliburton injury update: Pacers star will play
Though he walked with a limp following Oklahoma City’s Game 2 victory, Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton is not on the NBA’s official injury report for Game 3.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said, “He practiced. He went through everything. I know he has some discomfort. He feels it. But each day it’s getting better. I don’t think you’re going to hear him making a big deal out of it.”
Jarace Walker injury update: Will he play?
Per Dustin Dopriak of the Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, Walker is ‘going to be out for a while’ and was officially ruled out for Games 1 and 2 of the Finals, meaning his earliest possible return would have been for Game 3 on June 11 in Indianapolis.
However, Walker is now reportedly out for Game 3 on Wednesday night.
Who are the referees for Thunder vs Pacers NBA Finals Game 3?
Official assignments are announced at 9 a.m. on the day of the game. Here are the referees assigned to the 2025 NBA Finals.
James Capers (13th Finals)
Tony Brothers (14th Finals)
Tyler Ford (First Finals)
NBA Finals logo: Where is the iconic logo?
As Game 1 of the NBA Finals began at Paycom Center, discerning fans on social media asked: “Why aren’t there NBA Finals logos on the court?”
For the most part – there are two exceptions – the NBA has not placed Finals logos on the court since the 2014 Finals.
Some fans clamored to see a court that matched the magnitude of the event – meaning they didn’t want to see a court that was no different than a regular-season game. It was pointed out that the league’s NBA Cup court has logos on it for the in-season tournament.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took note of the comments and explained.
USA TODAY Sports’s Jeff Zillgitt breaks down why the logo is absent from the court this series.
Thunder vs Pacers odds: Game 3
The Oklahoma City Thunder are favorites to take a 2-1 series lead over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals, according to BetMGM (odds as of Tuesday, June 10):
Spread: Thunder (-5.5)
Moneyline: Thunder (-220); Pacers (+180)
Over/under: 228.5
NBA championship odds
The Oklahoma City Thunder enter Game 2 as the favorite to win the 2025 NBA Finals over the Indiana Pacers, according to BetMGM (odds as of Saturday, June 7)
Series winner: Thunder (-600); Pacers (+425)
NBA Finals expert picks: USA Today staff predictions
USA TODAY: Every expert picks the Thunder
Ahead of the series opener, all of the NBA experts at USA Today Sports picked the Oklahoma City Thunder to beat the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals
Scooby Axson: Thunder in five
Jordan Mendoza: Thunder in six
Lorenzo Reyes: Thunder in six
James Williams: Thunder in six
Jeff Zillgitt: Thunder in five
Thunder vs Pacers predictions, expert picks for NBA Finals Game 3
USA TODAY: Most pick the Thunder in Game 3
Scooby Axson: Pacers 110, Thunder 107
Jordan Mendoza: Thunder 102, Pacers 98
Cydney Henderson: Thunder 115, Pacers 107
Lorenzo Reyes: Thunder 111, Pacers 104
Heather Tucker: Pacers 108, Thunder 101
Jeff Zillgitt: Thunder 110, Pacers 101
NBA Finals schedule: Thunder vs Pacers
Game 1, June 5: Pacers 111, Thunder 110
Game 2, June 8: Thunder 123, Pacers 107
Game 3, June 11: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.
Game 4, June 13: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.
Game 5, June 16: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.*
Game 6, June 19: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.*
Game 7, June 22: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m.*
All times Eastern; *-if necessary