Pacers aren't celebrating, Thunder
aren't panicking as sides reset for Game 4 of the NBA Finals
[June 13, 2025]
By TIM REYNOLDS
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers aren't celebrating. The
Oklahoma City Thunder aren't panicking.
The NBA Finals scoreboard is what it is — Pacers 2, Thunder 1 —
going into Game 4 of the best-of-seven title series on Friday night.
Everybody can count to four, and everybody can see that Indiana is
in a better position right now than Oklahoma City,
But the Pacers know if they were to partake in such thinking, that
would be dangerous.
“There’s nothing to get excited about right now,” Indiana guard
Tyrese Haliburton said. “We’re still a long way away.”
An even-keeled approach, for certain. The Thunder are going about
business the same way.
“I just think we stay pretty emotionally even in all of the
different experiences,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “You
really see that when we win. I think if you’re going to get high on
the wins, then the natural opposite of that is to get low on the
losses. This team doesn’t really swing violently between those two
things. Never has.”
Indiana grabbed control of the series on Wednesday night in a
116-107 win, a game in which the Pacers' bench — led by Bennedict
Mathurin's 27 points in 22 minutes and T.J. McConnell's 10 points,
five assists and five steals in 15 minutes — outscored Oklahoma
City's reserves 49-18.
The Thunder starters were more than fine in Game 3: Oklahoma City
opened the game with a 15-6 run, then started the third quarter —
with the starters all on the floor — with an 8-0 burst. Add up those
7 minutes of play, and it was Thunder 23, Pacers 6. Add up the other
41 minutes of the game, and it was Pacers 110, Thunder 84.
“It’s got to be a killer edge to beat these guys," Pacers coach Rick
Carlisle said. “We’re going to be an underdog in every game in this
series. ... It’s a daunting challenge. Anything less than a total
grit mindset, we just don’t have a chance.”
If Oklahoma City finds a way Friday, it goes home with a 2-2 series
tie and two of the final three games of the series set to be played
in its building. A loss, and it's 3-1 — the sort of hole that few
teams in NBA history have escaped.
“I think just the competitive greatness for this team has to be at
an all-time high,” Thunder guard Alex Caruso said. “To be able to go
on the road and win a game is a difficult thing in the playoffs, but
especially staring 3-1 down in the face. You got to really get your
mind right and get ready for the preparation that it’s going to take
to go out there and compete for 48 minutes and get the win.”
[to top of second column] |
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) is fouled by Indiana
Pacers center Myles Turner (33) during the basketball second half of
Game 3 of the NBA Finals series, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in
Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Turner update
Myles Turner, who had five blocks for Indiana in Game 3, including
two against Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren with about 2 minutes left
— first a 3-pointer and then a 6-footer on the same possession — is
dealing with an illness.
Turner was with the Pacers for film on Thursday and then was sent
home. It seems like Indiana expect that he will play in Game 4.
Bounceback Thunder
Indiana hasn't lost back-to-back games in three months. Oklahoma
City hasn't done so in two months.
The Thunder are 6-0 after losses since early April, 5-0 after losses
in these playoffs.
“There’s a maximum four games left in the season,” Gilgeous-Alexander
said. “It’s what you worked the whole season for. It’s what you
worked all summer for. To me, the way I see it, you got to suck it
up, get it done and try to get a win.”
Haliburton's free throws
In five games against Oklahoma City this season, Haliburton has been
fouled in the act of shooting just once — in the first half of a
Thunder-Pacers game on March 29.
He has not taken a free throw in this series. He's the first player
to log at least 109 minutes in the first three games of a finals and
not take a single free throw since Miami's Mario Chalmers in 2012 —
also against the Thunder.
A 2-1 lead, again
In this current 16-team playoff format that dates back to 1984,
Indiana is the sixth team to have a 2-1 lead in all four of its
postseason series.
The others were the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2020, Boston in
2008, Detroit in 2004 and San Antonio in 2003.
All five of those teams went on to win the NBA title.
The last word
“We got great leaders on this team, the coaches and players who keep
us on track with everything. We’re comfortable in close games. At
the end of games, as well. We just trust our work, trust we got to
get the ball into our guards’ hands and they’re going to make good
plays.” — Pacers forward Obi Toppin.
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