The Indiana Pacers grabbed a hard-earned 2–1 lead within the NBA Finals with an ecstatic 116–107 Recreation 3 win over the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Backed by a roaring house crowd, the Pacers bounced again from their Recreation 2 loss with sharper execution and extra centered vitality on each ends of the ground.
After the ultimate buzzer, Tyrese Haliburton embraced franchise legend and Corridor of Famer Reggie Miller. The second symbolized a strong hyperlink between Indiana’s previous and its rising future.
In a post-game interview with NBA TV, Haliburton stated, “I used to be like three months outdated final time the Pacers made the Finals,” whereas acknowledging Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, and different former Pacers who attended the sport.
Each groups traded blows all through the sport in a tightly contested battle. Haliburton almost recorded a triple-double, ending with 22 factors on 9-17 taking pictures, together with 4-8 from 3. He additionally tallied 11 assists, 9 rebounds, two steals, and a block.
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His greatest shot got here with underneath seven minutes left within the fourth quarter, a 25-foot step-back 3 off a go from Myles Turner. That basket gave the Pacers a lead they held for the remainder of the sport. Although Haliburton didn’t rating once more, he stored the offense buzzing with crisp passes and good selections.
The Pacers held the sting in most key stats. They shot 51.8% from the sphere, higher than the Thunder’s 46.8%. Oklahoma Metropolis was sharper from lengthy vary, hitting 45.5% of their 3s in comparison with Indiana’s 33.3%, however turnovers damage them. The Thunder gave the ball away 19 occasions, and Indiana’s aggressive protection made them pay. The Pacers dedicated simply 14 turnovers and moved the ball nicely, ending with 29 assists to Oklahoma Metropolis’s 26.
Indiana additionally introduced extra depth on protection. The Pacers pressured 13 steals and blocked 11 photographs, disrupting the Thunder’s circulate and creating fast-break probabilities. One of many sport’s greatest defensive performs got here late within the fourth, when Myles Turner blocked Chet Holmgren on the rim to close down a possible Thunder run and protect Indiana’s management.
With Haliburton main the cost, the Pacers are simply two wins away from their first NBA title. Might Tyrese Haliburton be the participant to lastly carry a championship to Indiana?