Pacers put together another fourth-quarter comeback to stun Thunder
from Sean Keane, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
Jalen Williams hit a buzzer-beater to give the Oklahoma City Thunder a five-point lead after three quarters. That put them right where the Indiana Pacers wanted them in Game 3 on Wednesday.
The Pacers outscored the Thunder, 32-18, in the fourth quarter to make yet another playoff comeback in a 116-107 victory. Indiana relied on its underrated defense to slow down the Thunder and shared the ball late. Eight different Pacers scored in the final quarter, with Aaron Nesmith delivering the dagger three-pointer off of one of Tyrese Haliburton’s 11 assists.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and Williams finished with 26, but the Thunder hurt themselves badly with 17 turnovers. For a team that forced the most turnovers and committed the fewest in the NBA this season, losing the turnover battle, 17-13, takes away what’s normally one of OKC’s biggest advantages.
But the Pacers also had a giant advantage in bench points. Third-year guard Bennedict Mathurin scored a career playoff-high 27 points off the bench, on 9-for-12 shooting. The Thunder couldn’t handle him or T.J. McConnell, who had five steals, three on inbounds passes, and five assists.
By contrast, Oklahoma City reserves had only 18 points compared to the Pacers’ 49. By dominating the bench minutes, particularly when Gilgeous-Alexander was sitting, the Pacers stole a game where they missed two-thirds of their three-pointers.
It may have been easy to write off Game 1 as a wild Pacers comeback capped off by a miracle shot from Haliburton. In Game 3, the Pacers proved they can match the Thunder’s famed depth and win even when their shots aren’t following.
Now they’re two wins away from their first NBA title.
**********Aaron Wiggins, from Wesleyan Christian Academy and Grimsley HS, plus from our local Forest Valley outdoor basketball court here in Greensboro, N.C., with 0 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists, in 10 minutes of action for the OKC Thunder…**********