INDIANAPOLIS — The last time the Indiana Pacers pulled to within two games of an NBA championship, it was a stay of execution, delaying the inevitable celebration for the Los Angeles Lakers — the league’s brewing dynasty.
It was a show for the home crowd 25 years ago, almost an apology for blowing a winnable Game 4 days earlier.
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These Pacers pulled to within two wins of a title Wednesday because they executed at every margin, putting spackle on every hole and imperfection, and, more importantly, stopped treating the Oklahoma City Thunder like the dynasty they could become.
Perhaps this is just a delay, the Pacers defending home court in what feels like an upset, with a dominant fourth quarter on the way to a 116-107 win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Because how do they keep doing this? The Thunder had their graduation in the second round, knocking off the wounded but prideful Nikola Jokić-led Denver Nuggets, and everything since was supposed to be a coronation for the franchise that built things the right way.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton goes to the hole against Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The Pacers were supposed to be a nuisance, and not even the shocker in Game 1 had changed anyone’s mind. It was written off as an anomaly, the Thunder taking their foot off the gas and being caught by a Pacers team many believe to be a level below Oklahoma City, talent-wise.
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The Thunder’s defense is historic, both in numbers and eye test, but somehow the Pacers figured out their best friends are their endurance and an energetic crowd. The Thunder are young, buoyed by players mature beyond their years and pretty developed physically, yet they were the ones who were tugging their shorts in the fourth quarter, gasping for air.
Maybe it took the Pacers three games to figure out waiting for a great shot means dribbling into a turnover or a bad shot — and they instead let it fly, efficiency be damned.
Tyrese Haliburton, welcome to the NBA Finals. He was…
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