The Oklahoma City Thunder are not the only ones who lost in Game 3 of their series against the Indiana Pacers. Rap icon Jay-Z suffered a major loss as well due to the wager he made on the NBA Finals.
Indiana beat Oklahoma City 116-107 during their Wednesday showdown, with Tyrese Haliburton recording a near triple-double of 22 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists. Bennedict Mathurin was also sensational off the bench, as he finished with 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting.
NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams combined for 50 points for the Thunder, but they didn't get much help. The OKC bench scored just 18 points, which pales in comparison to Indiana's 49 bench points.
The Pacers now lead 2-1 in the series, with a chance to make it 3-1 when they return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 4 on Friday.
As a result, however, Jay-Z also lost $1 million. To recap, the global music artist put a $1 million wager on the Thunder to win in five games. That's impossible now, with Indiana having already won two games. The best Oklahoma City could do is win the series in six.
Ben Fawkes of Yahoo Sports confirmed the development following Game 3.
"Jay-Z placed a $1 million wager on the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the NBA Finals in five games at +230 odds at @FanaticsBook," Fawkes reported. "Bet would've won $3.3 million. He lost that wager tonight."
Sure enough, fans were quick to react to the development, with many sharing mixed reactions to the news.
"Donation for Fanatics," a commenter wrote. Another one said, "What a horrible bet."
"That’s what happens to people that don’t know ball and don’t work in this industry for a living," a critic added.
Others, however, were not concerned about Jay-Z losing such a huge amount of money. After all, the record executive has a net worth of $2.5 billion, according to Forbes.
"Something in my gut tells me he will be financially okay after this loss for him," a social media user shared.
A poster remarked, "He'll be OK."
"He still a billionaire," a sixth follower stated.
American rapper Jay Z (R) and American singer and actress Beyonce.
American rapper Jay Z (R) and American singer and actress Beyonce.
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Jay-Z himself has yet to react to the development, but it will definitely be interesting to see if he places another bet during the NBA Finals.