To showcase their resiliency, the Indiana Pacers did not need to rely on a late-game comeback. To demonstrate their star power, the Pacers did not need to lean on Tyrese Haliburton to make another game-winning shot.
Instead, the Pacers ensured a 116-107 win over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday in Game 3 of the NBA Finals by tapping into another key part of their identity. The No. 5-seeded Pacers have a 2-1 Finals series lead over the top-seeded Thunder because they utilized their depth.
They used a 10-man rotation at a time when most teams tighten theirs in favor of proven starters. They played at a fast pace at a time when most teams slow it down during a high-stakes playoff game. The Pacers’ supporting cast members elevated their game at a time when most of them do so before an energetic home crowd. The Pacers’ biggest star provided a bounce-back game at a time when they needed it the most.
Rarely do any NBA teams have all of those ingredients. Rarely has that been enough, anyway, to top a Thunder team that has shown few weaknesses throughout the 2024-25 regular season and the playoffs. The Pacers represent that rare exception.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton reacts after a made basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 11, 2025.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton reacts after a made basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
“We have to do everything better as a team,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told reporters before Game 3. “When we do everything better as a team, it enhances all of our guys' abilities to play better.”
The Pacers already have exceeded expectations by perfecting that identity. They handed one Eastern Conference contender its third-consecutive first-round loss (Milwaukee Bucks). They ousted the Eastern Conference’s top seed (Cleveland Cavaliers). They spoiled a team’s first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years so badly that it fired its head coach afterward (New York Knicks).
And now? In two out of three NBA Finals games, the Pacers have shown the Thunder they are a legitimate threat. Indiana needs to win only two more games to collect its first NBA championship in franchise history. In the previous NBA Finals that were tied through the first two games, the Game 3 winner eventually won the NBA title 33 out of 41 times.
That statistic might mean nothing considering the Thunder’s star power, depth and continuity. Hence, this series seems far from over. The Pacers at least took command of the Finals, however, by nearly excelling in every facet of the game.
“These guys see where important things are important, and hard things are hard,” Carlisle told reporters afterward. “That's a phrase I've used many times: ‘Hard things are hard.’ But our guys, they have made the investment, and it's an ongoing thing. It's like a great marriage; it's a lot of work.”
The Pacers have maintained a strong partnership with constant communication filled with positive reinforcement, constructive criticism and open-mindedness. They value the small things, but they don’t fret over the trivial. They think about the big picture, but they also try to remain present. Lastly, the Pacers have a breadwinner that understands how his production and attitude sets the tone.
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin dunks over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort in Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 11, 2025.
Pacers forward Obi Toppin dunks over Thunder guard Luguentz Dort in Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday.
Abbie Parr - pool photo via Imagn Images
Haliburton finished with 22 points while shooting 9-for-17 from the field and 4-for-8 from 3-point range along with 11 assists and nine rebounds. That marked a sharp improvement from his Game 2 performance. Then, Haliburton logged nearly as many turnovers (five) as assists (six). Though he scored 17 points on a 7-for-13 clip, Haliburton shot only 2-for-7 through the first three quarters. Haliburton made a game-winning jumper to secure Game 1, but even that shot camouflaged his relatively low numbers in scoring (14 points) and assists (six). In Game 3, Haliburton produced as if the Pacers’ fortunes depended on him.
“There’s going to be ebbs and flows,” Haliburton told reporters. “I’m never going to be super great and shoot so many shots consistently. There are going to be games where I don’t. I have to be able to find the right balance between the two. But I think experience is the best way I can learn from it.”
That experience has coincided with criticism about his consistency, an issue he repeatedly downplayed after Game 3. Haliburton dismissed what he called “the talking heads on the major platforms” and questioned their basketball knowledge. He said he has reduced his social media intake. He added he has talked frequently with his coaches with the Pacers (Carlisle), Iowa State (Steve Prohm) and at Oshkosh North High School (Brad Weber) as well as his trainer (Drew Hanlen).
Nonetheless, Carlisle and Hanlen often have told Haliburton about needing to play aggressively. Hanlen often challenges the pass-first point guard to look more for his shot to expand his game and to ensure his teammates have easier looks.
“His approach tonight was exactly what it needs to be,” Carlisle told reporters about Haliburton. “A combination of spatial awareness and aggression, and a real good feel for aggression to score along with getting his teammates involved at the right times.”
Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam passes the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren defends during Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 11, 2025.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam passes the ball as Thunder forward Chet Holmgren defends during Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday.
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
That approach enabled Haliburton to elevate his game without needing to take over it.
Six years after playing a key role in the Toronto Raptors’ NBA title run, Pacers forward Pascal Siakam posted 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting, four assists and two steals after struggling in Game 2 (15 points on 3-for-11 clip). After missing the playoffs last season with a right shoulder injury, Pacers reserve guard Bennedict Mathurin had 27 points on a 9-for-12 clip following modest performances in Game 2 (14) and Game 1 (five). Pacers forward Obi Toppin shot much better in Game 3 (eight points on 4-for-8 shooting) than he did in Game 2 (three points on 1-for-8 clip).
Pacers guards Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard took turns defending Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose 24 points on 9-for-20 shooting marked a sharp dip in his production from Game 1 (38 points) and Game 2 (34). Pacers center Myles Turner scored nine points on 3-for-11 shooting, and Carlisle noted that he “felt under the weather.”
But Turner still recorded five blocks and limited Thunder center Chet Holmgren to 20 points on 6-for-15 shooting following a strong start in the game’s first 4½ minutes (eight points on 3-for-3 clip). Pacers reserve guard T.J. McConnell energized his teammates and the home crowd with constant hustle that resulted in 10 points, five assists and five steals.
“This series features so many special players on both sides,” Carlisle told reporters. “T.J. brings some very unique elements to our team, and he brings unique elements to the game in general. We need all of our guys to bring whatever is their thing to our thing and have it be part of our thing. But he's a guy that inspires a lot of people. He inspires our team a lot.”
Carlisle then stressed that “we’ve got to turn the page quickly” for Game 4 on Friday (8:30 p.m. on ABC). Should the Pacers lean on their depth, however, they will have a fighting chance once again to defeat a heavily favored team.
Mark Medina is an NBA contributor for Athlon Sports. Follow him onX,Blue Sky,Instagram,Facebook andThreads.