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The Pacers get timely contributions from Bennedict Mathurin and TJ McConnell as they regain control of the NBA Finals against the Thunder, with Indiana continuing its trend of avoiding back-to-back losses since December
INDIANAPOLIS – Backup guards Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell helped Indiana’s bench break out with 49 points as the Pacers topped the Oklahoma City Thunder, 116-107, on Wednesday, June 11 (Thursday, June 12, Manila time), to claim a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
Thanks to 27 points from Mathurin and the kind of pyrotechnics the Pacers have grown to adore from reserve point guard McConnell, Indiana has the advantage in the best-of-seven series.
Tyrese Haliburton provided heroics with 22 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds, while Pascal Siakam added 21 points for the Pacers, who haven’t lost back-to-back games since December.
Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 26 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points. Chet Holmgren compiled 20 points and 10 rebounds but shot 0-for-6 from three-point range.
Game 4 is scheduled for Friday in Indianapolis.
The Thunder trailed 110-102 with three minutes to go, but Alex Caruso tried to keep the Pacers from a premature celebration with a steal and breakaway into the open court. Two steps into the paint, Aaron Nesmith closed and forcefully brought both arms down on Caruso to prevent the shot attempt and take him to the floor. Following a review, no flagrant foul was called.
Caruso made both free throws and Indiana’s Myles Turner subsequently lost the ball out of bounds. However, Turner, who missed 8 of his first 10 shots, came up with 2 blocks of Holmgren on the same possession to keep the lead at 6.
Indiana got another stop, and Siakam lit up the stadium for good with an easy basket that gave the Pacers a 112-104 lead with 69 seconds left.
McConnell was seemingly everywhere, and he came up with massive defensive plays all game.
He ripped off Caruso’s bullet inbounds pass with two hands at point-blank range under the basket and pumped in a layup to tie the game at 95 early in the fourth quarter.
Mathurin cashed a trey off a McConnell assist, putting the Pacers up 98-96.
After sitting the first 4:56 in the fourth quarter, Haliburton returned to the floor, took a handoff at the top of the key, stopped, squared and splashed his fourth three-pointer of the game for a 101-98 lead with 6:42 remaining.
Indiana’s Aaron Nembhard made a 12-foot jumper from the left elbow and the Pacers got it back after a missed three-point attempt, taking a touchdown lead (107-100) on Obi Toppin’s two-hand dunk off of a miss with 4:23 to go.
Nesmith caught a skip pass on the right wing and drained a trey on Indiana’s next possession for an eight-point lead.
McConnell hit a running right-handed layup between two clutch buckets by Mathurin as the Pacers stayed close, down 93-91, with 10 minutes to play.
Oklahoma City had surged ahead for its biggest lead of the second half — 89-84 — to end the third quarter. Williams hit a long three-pointer came after an and-one baseline dunk by Holmgren, who moved through the swiping hands of McConnell to finish.
Williams played a lot of the game with the ball in his hands as the Pacers worked to keep Gilgeous-Alexander in check.
McConnell leads NBA reserves in assists per game in the playoffs (4.1). – Rappler.com
