OKC Thunder Drop Game 3 of NBA Finals on the Road

Game 3 of the NBA Finals was an interesting one, with plenty of odd runs and high defensive intensity. It ended positively for the Indiana Pacers, the home team in Game 3, walking away with a 116-107 victory.

Others made impacts in this game, but arguably no player was more impactful than Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton. He finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists, while also creating a massive defensive impact. He looked far more aggressive than any other game in the series, making a statement for his home team.

Pascal Siakam started as a major offensive factor for the Indiana Pacers, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not. The defense on Gilgeous-Alexander was intense, with Indiana guard Ryan Nembhard picking him up full-court right away.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored only six points on six field goal attempts in the first quarter. Both of those numbers are unusually low, mainly because of the defensive pressure Indiana applied to him.

It's hard to say Gilgeous-Alexander struggled, especially because of the attention he received all game long. He did finish with 24 points on 9-for-20 shooting, adding eight rebounds and four assists to his stat line. He was certainly uncomfortable during the game, with arguably the most defensive pressure he's faced during his career.

The number of turnovers also matched early on, which hasn't been the case for the previous two games of the series. That stat was equal for both teams for most of the first half, not allowing OKC to win in an area they normally would.

Siakam was also very effective for the Pacers, finishing the game with 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting. He was far and away the most effective offensive player for the home team, making an immediate impact in the first quarter and expanding on it as the game went on.

Indiana's bench got involved fairly quickly, with Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell making immediate impacts. McConnell became the maestro of knocking away inbounds passes, forcing two turnovers in that category. The Pacers' bench combined for 30 points in the first half compared to OKC's 11, a large reason for the closeness of the score.

Mathurin was the unsung hero of the game for the Pacers, finishing with 27 points on 9-for-12 shooting. His shot quality looked much better compared to the rest of the series and was a huge reason, again, for the game being close.

It's been unusual for the Pacers to find themselves ahead outside of the fourth quarter. That became a reality in the second quarter of this battle, with Indiana amassing their largest lead of the series a little over halfway through it. A mid-range bucket from McConnell helped the Pacers hold onto a lead heading into the second half, leading 64-60.

A six-point run led by Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in the opening two minutes of the third quarter erased a lot of Indiana's hard work in the 24 minutes before. Williams earned another one right after that, with free throws from Indiana center Myles Turner thwarting the run.

The quarter proceeded to go back and forth, but it still seemed like Indiana had a chokehold on the final outcome. That being said, the Thunder weasled their way into a 89-84 lead heading into the fourth quarter, despite struggling in many areas.

Mathurin continued to explode on offense into the fourth quarter, with the Thunder holding on in every way they could. The energy in Gainbridge Fieldhouse was deafening and when Haliburton drilled a triple with 6:40 to play in the fourth quarter, it exploded.

All the momentum shifted toward the Pacers, especially after an emphatic putback dunk from Toppin. They were in the midst of a 12-0 run, while turnovers and a lack of rebounding plagued the road team.

With time winding down, Siakam did his thing and increased the Indiana lead to seven points. The game was too far out of reach at that point, regardless of how much fouling OKC would do.

Game 4 of the series stays in Indiana and tips off at 7:30 p.m. CT on Friday, June 13.