The Indiana Pacers came away with a pivotal Game 3 win in the NBA Finals, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 and taking a 2-1 lead for the series. Indiana was a massive underdog entering the series and now finds themselves leading because of a huge boost from their bench.
The Pacers' bench outscored OKC's 49-18, with Bennedit Mathurin leading all scorers with 27 points in just 22 minutes on a hyper-efficient 9/12 shooting. TJ McConnell also had a huge impact with 10 points, 5 assists, and 5 steals, three of those coming off an inbounds pass under the basket.
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Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Jason Terry
Mar 13, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Jason Terry (31) celebrates making a three point shot against the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Wizards 107-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Mathurin was the real story. His 27 points were the most for any player off the bench in the NBA Finals since Jason Terry went for 27 in the Game 6 closeout for the Dallas Mavericks against the Miami Heat in 2011.
According to StatMuse, the only three players this century with 25+ points off the bench in an NBA Finals game are Bennedict Mathurin, Jason Terry, and Manu Ginobili. That's a pretty great company to be in.
It's notable that Mathurin and Terry had the same coach for both of those Finals 14 years apart: Rick Carlisle. Coach Carlisle has always found a way to get the most out of every player, and despite Mathurin not even playing in the first quarter, Carlisle trusted him and Mathurin delivered. If they go on to win this series, Mathurin's performance in Game 3 will be one of the biggest reasons why.
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