Pacers quintet makes incredible NBA history in Game 3 win

The Pacers' reliance on their 14-man roster has been the overriding theme in their first trip to the NBA Finals in 25 years. As many as eight players have averaged at least 8.5 points during the playoffs, and even the ninth, 10th and 11th players have made key contributions —Thomas Bryant drained three crucial threes in the series-clinching win against the Knicks, and Ben Sheppard scored 14 points in the Game 4 victory against the Cavaliers. 

In Wednesday's win, Indiana's depth came shining through again. Look no further than the fact that the Pacers outscored the Thunder by an average of 15.3 points when Obi Toppin, McConnell and Mathurin were on the floor, and only by one point in the Haliburton minutes. 

The turn of events reinforced the notion that the Pacers are like a revolving door with no set formula or five-man lineup that guarantees success. Their game plan changes game to game depending on which player(s) have the hot hand or bring the right energy. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has no plans to deviate from the recipe. 

"Look, this is the kind of team that we are," he said, via NBA.com. "We need everybody to be ready. It's not always going to be exactly the same guys that are stepping up with scoring and stuff like that. But this is how we got to do it. We need all of our guys to bring whatever is their thing to our thing."

The Pacers are two wins away from capturing their first NBA title in franchise history. History favors them to complete the mission — teams that win Game 3 of a tied series are 33-8 in the NBA Finals.