Pacers find brilliance everywhere as they take Game 3

By: Samson Folk | @samfolkk

Walking around Indy prior to the game was like being inside of a beehive without any animosity. Simply walking among the buzz. Once inside the arena, with every second that ticked closer to game time, the buzz grew into a roar - and a roar that maintained its punch well into the first quarter when people finally relented and sat down. Indiana was golden clad, extremely loud, and ready for basketball. 

Chet Holmgren was turned loose to kick things off, scoring 12 points in his first 7 minutes of play. 

The Pacers didn’t like their contain — it wasn’t great — to begin, and so the first swap that was made wasn’t what we’re used to seeing with Siakam leaving (who was masterful on offense to start), but rather an early look for Ben Sheppard - who quickly stepped in to hit a pull up middy and to swipe the ball free from Jalen Williams to help get the Pacers back from a fairly sizeable, early deficit. Although, the Pacers did eventually get the run n’ gun lineup in and traded some fast break buckets with the Thunder. The first chunk of play didn’t go the Pacers' way on either side of the floor, but with roughly 5 minutes of play left in the first, they were down 19-14. 

Pickup points (which Rick firmly stiff armed my question about at the pre-game press conference) were a huge motivator of what did and didn’t work, once again. Step up screens way up the court were instrumental in setting Gilgeous-Alexander loose downhill. On the other end, the Thunder pressed, and hard. There’s a level of control that ball handlers typically exhibit, but the Thunder were so effective at chasing and pressuring up court, that the Pacers’ process almost seemed a bit like tag. Fast passing, fast moving - continued attempts at evasion. 

Fun note: Thomas Bryant pressured Holmgren for 94 feet. 

After the first quarter, the Pacers were down 32-24. The rapid pinging of the ball had led to a few too many turnovers (7), and it hadn’t yet yielded the 3-point shooting that it was meant to, as they shot 2-7 from downtown. The ingredients for better offense were there, nothing had popped yet, though. 

I will say, there are few things better than being witness to two backcourt TJ McConnell steals in a Finals game. The Pacers’ crowd lost their minds as McConnell egged them, flexing and screaming to pull as much noise out of Gainbridge as he could. He was the architect of the Pacers’ run to bring it all the way back, and to take the lead. His swirling, Nash-ing drives were supplemented by excellent cutting from his teammates, and really drove the offense for a time. The interior passing was on the mark, and the intensity was way beyond that.

Of note: Siakam had a marvelous stretch on defense.

Also of note: Benn Mathurin had brought his very, very best. 39-36, Pacers. A Haliburton-led lineup got to check in with a lead. 

The Pacers did a fairly good job of scoring the ball over the next 5 minutes of play (Mathurin and Haliburton were quite good), but the huge problem was stopping the screen and roll from Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams, respectively. Both took possession after possession, screen after screen, and worked to their spots for makes. A few missed coverages from the Pacers, a few stellar plays from the Thunder stars - that’s life. 

Maybe the most important thing — and something that just kept popping up — for the Pacers to take a 4 point lead into halftime, was Ben Sheppard’s playing time. He leapt over Nesmith in minutes, he was on time as a cutter, and man he put in a SHIFT as a point of attack defender. He was the stickiest that the Pacers could provide, and he forced Gilgeous-Alexander into some truly outrageous shots - which the MVP could of course make. 

Siakam had 13-4-2 and Haliburton had 12 and 7, yes, but that half belonged to a trio of bench guards: McConnell, Sheppard, and Mathurin; and you know damn well a lot of their work came while carving and bludgeoning their way to the paint - a welcome change for the Pacers. 

The aforementioned screen and roll offense for the Thunder? It jumped out immediately to start the second half as they kicked off an 8-0 run off the strength of Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander slithering middle for shotmaking. Killing cross matches.

A star turn on one side deserved another, though. Haliburton capped off a returning run, and one that sent the Pacers up by 4, by jumping a pass and throwing down a two handed dunk. Gainbridge went berserk. The league MVP hit a step back triple as the chants of “DEFENSE” boomed loud as hell around the arena. Seriously impressive stuff. Haliburton, maybe one minute later, rained down a triple to put the Pacers up 3, and to bring himself to 19 points on the night - on 8-12 shooting. Seriously impressive stuff. 

The race to the end of the 3rd was an absolute grindfest. Haliburton searched tirelessly for opportunities on offense, and Gilgeous-Alexander did the same. Both defenses loaded up in the gaps (Siakam in particular was tremendous at putting out fires and showing size) to create misses. It was the very last gasp from the Thunder that put them over the edge. A corner crash from Holmgren sent him to the line for an And1 that he converted, and after that McConnell and Williams exchanged looks - and only the latter got his to drop. A close to the quarter that sent the Pacers down 5 heading into the final frame. 

Somehow the Pacers were in it, despite shooting 27% from deep, to the Thunder’s 55%. They needed a shotmaking swing in the worst way. 

Shot making? You got it! Mathurin was off the bench and into the fire with 5 quick points to start the fourth - and both makes were fueled by his unique mix of athleticism and touch. Oh, and would you believe a third McConnell back court steal occurred? It did. I don’t know how in the hell he manages it. A Mathurin pull put the Pacers up by 2. HELLO SHOT MAKING! 25 points for the Pacers young guard. 

Haliburton hit the floor, and did so running. Stepping into a triple, forcing a travel on the MVP with a great show, and directing traffic as the speed of the game hit turbo. Toppin had a dunk on a put back and a chase down block. Turner remembered that Holmgren is quite sleight despite his length and bullied him under the bucket for a layup, and blocked him on the other end. The Pacers were smothering the Thunder at the point of attack. If Gilgeous-Alexander wanted to slip down hole he was meant to do it through a keyhole. All in all, a huge run that put the Pacers up 7 with a smidge under 4 minutes to go. 

The Pacers’ defensive intensity was remarkable down the stretch. Highlighted, probably more than anything, by Siakam stepping out on the league MVP twice in the same possession, and forcing a big ol’ goose egg before beating SGA down the floor, collecting the hit ahead from Haliburton, and scoring to put the Pacers up 8 with roughly a minute to go. The Pacers got stops on Holmgren, they squeezed the Thunder everywhere they could, but man alive, Siakam was on an island with Gilgeous-Alexander and came out on top. 

No one likes the free throw game down the stretch, but the Pacers comfortably finished it off. 

They took Game 3, without shooting the lights out. They took Game 3, by squeezing the lights out of the Thunder offense. Dazzling performances peppered the roster, and were bolstered of course by Haliburton and Siakam who were terrific.

Best crowd I’ve ever sat in. Well done, Indy. I’m impressed. 

Have a blessed day.