The Indiana Pacers have built their NBA Finals run on a blend of conventional wisdom and a flare for the dramatics.
The former is a testament to head coach Rick Carlisle’s willingness to stretch his rotation to ten or even eleven players in a playoff setting where most coaches are putting more mileage on their starters. That helps the Pacers maintain an up-tempo attack that wears on its opponents.
The latter includes another improbable win in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Indiana trailed by nine with 2:52 remaining. Teams had been 0-121 on this stage when down by at least seven in the final 3:00 of the fourth frame and overtime, per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.
In becoming the first franchise to prevail in that predicament, the Pacers matched the largest fourth-quarter comeback victory in the Finals in the last 50 years, per ESPN’s Matt Williams.
Pacers’ role players deliver standout performances in return home
Back in Indiana, Tyrese Haliburton nearly registered a triple-double. He finished with 22 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds in a 116-107 win. However, it was the supporting cast that starred. The hosts second unit outscored the visitors 49-18 in Game 3.
“We just had guys make plays after plays,” voiced Haliburton after the victory. “Our bench was amazing.”
T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin refused to let the Pacers fail. The latter generated a game-high 27 points in 22 minutes.
Mathurin’s +16 plus-minus rating was second to Obi Toppin [+18], who was also fantastic off the bench. Toppin contributed eight points, six rebounds, and two blocks. He also had a put-back slam that gave Indiana a seven-point cushion with under 4:30 left.
McConnell’s fingerprints were also all over this game. He produced ten points, five assists, and five steals and was a +12. There were multiple instances where he scored or assisted on a basket, then stole the ensuing inbounds pass.
The undersized guard, with a relentless motor, teamed with Mathurin to bring an infusion of energy the Thunder did not match. The latter shouldered the scoring load for stretches. McConnell disrupted Oklahoma City’s offense, then pushed the pace to produce points for him and his teammates at the other end.
“We really needed that boost, especially in the second quarter, Haliburton told Candace Parker in an interview on NBATV post-game. “We had a rough first quarter; the second unit came [in and] brought energy. When T.J. gets those steals, the building really gets into it.
“Ben was amazing, getting downhill, not overthinking things. I thought he did a great job operating the pick-and-roll, rising up and shooting over guys, getting downhill. He just made play after play. Our whole second group did. Honestly, our second group really won us the game.”
For as much as the Pacers revolve around Haliburton, those two were at the heart of Indiana’s taking a 2-1 lead and moving halfway to its first NBA championship.