OKC Thunder, Indiana Pacers Have Struggled in Game 3 Throughout NBA Playoffs

The 2025 NBA Finals are being played between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. The beautiful thing about these Flyover Finals are the storylines which has already taken shape through the first two games of the series, getting all things squared at a game each.

The Thunder and Pacers are heading to Game 3 in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indiana's first home game in the NBA Finals since 2000. This game will shift the series in a big way, as someone will be forced to play behind the eight ball.

If Oklahoma City drops this first one in Indiana, Game 4 on Friday becomes a must-win for the Bricktown Ballers in hopes to leave the Hoosier state with a 2-2 series entering a pivotal Game 5.

No matter what order the games go in, the Thunder can not afford anything less than a split in the Pacers barn this week.

However, an interesting storyline is the lackluster play each side has put out over the course of the NBA Playoffs in Game 3.

For the Indiana Pacers, they are a shockingly bad in this spot. They have gone up 2-0 in every series leading into the NBA Finals and in Game 3s are a lowly 0-3 with a -14.7 Net Rating. Though, Wednesday will be different. It is hard to generate the desperation required in the postseason to overcome a team that is on the verge of being down 0-3 in the series. The Pacers will have a better chance tonight with a series leveled.

Oklahoma City has played two of its three Game 3s to date with a 2-0 cushion as well, and the third being a 1-1 series, going 1-2 in that spot while turning in a -15 net rating in that span made worse by the Thunder's horrific loss in Minnesota to give the Timberwolves the only game they won of that Western Conference Finals series.

The Thunder and Pacers will play what is sure to be a barn burner inside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse tonight with hopes of bucking bad trends in Game 3.