The Oklahoma City Thunder looked to take control of the NBA Finals in Game 3 on the road after winning Game 2 at home over the Indiana Pacers by a comfortable margin.
Game 3 on Wednesday was relatively close throughout, but the Pacers pulled away late and claimed a 116-107 win to take a 2-1 series lead.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, this year's league MVP, didn't have a typical performance. He scored an anemic 24 points and committed six turnovers, but he did notch a notable achievement during the contest.
He passed future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant for the most points during one postseason in Thunder history.
Durant was drafted by the franchise with the No. 2 pick in 2007, back when it was still known as the Seattle SuperSonics. In 2012, he led it to the championship series, along with star teammates Russell Westbrook and James Harden, but it lost there to LeBron James' Miami Heat.
After the Thunder blew a 3-1 series lead in the 2016 Western Conference Finals to the Golden State Warriors, Durant left in free agency and joined, of all teams, those same Warriors, something which he is criticized for to this day.
Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) battle.
Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) battle.
© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in scoring average during the regular season and made it clear he has become one of the league's newest true superstars. When Oklahoma City took Game 2 on Sunday, he posted 34 points and dished off eight assists.
But on Wednesday, it played into the Pacers' hands by committing 19 turnovers, which led to 21 Pacers points. Now the pressure has shifted to Gilgeous-Alexander's crew for Game 4, which will take place on Sunday.