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Tim MacMahon
INDIANAPOLIS — Jalen Williams sank a challenging pull-up three-pointer as time expired in the third quarter, briefly putting the Oklahoma City Thunder up by five. However, after that moment, everything unraveled for them.
“We had a lot of unforced mistakes,” Williams remarked following the Thunder’s 116-107 defeat to the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday. “They exploited our errors since they are a solid team.”
In the final quarter, Oklahoma City was outscored 32-18, marking the second instance this season where the Pacers have overwhelmed them in crunch time. This trend has been pivotal, as Indiana leads the series 2-1, having staged comebacks in the fourth quarter of both their victories.
“In the fourth quarter, I felt they outperformed us on both sides of the court,” noted Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “They showed their physicality in defense and executed their offensive pace effectively.”
With this victory, the Pacers improved to a remarkable 9-1 record in clutch situations throughout this postseason, a feat not seen since the Miami Heat achieved an 11-3 record in such games in 2020, based on ESPN Research.
This is a familiar situation for the Thunder, who previously overcame a 2-1 deficit against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals to triumph in seven games.
“We have a wonderful opportunity ahead,” said Oklahoma City forward/center Chet Holmgren, who recorded 20 points but faced difficulty in the fourth quarter, hitting only 1-of-5 from the field while being blocked three times by Pacers center Myles Turner. “The key is to focus on the task at hand, leaving aside any frustration. We have Game 4 coming up.”
Struggling against the Pacers’ full-court press, Oklahoma City’s shooting went cold, with the team missing nine of their last ten attempts. This slump began after a Williams floater closed the gap to just a point with 5:58 left in the game.
The Thunder’s only score down the stretch was a mid-range jumper by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had an uncharacteristic fourth quarter, registering just three points on 1-of-3 shooting with no assists.
“They were extremely aggressive,” Gilgeous-Alexander said about the Pacers’ defense. “It felt like every time they scored, we were going against a well-set defense, which makes it tougher.”
Finishing the game with 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting, Gilgeous-Alexander experienced his lowest output since a lopsided loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. He also had four assists against six turnovers, marking his first negative assist-to-turnover ratio of the postseason.
“It comes down to being more forceful,” Gilgeous-Alexander explained. “If we are more aggressive in becoming established in the pick-and-roll, we create better opportunities. It often boils down to who makes the initial move.”
The Thunder’s two defeats in the Finals have centered around the Pacers delivering decisive blows in the finale.
“To triumph in games of this significance, we must elevate our performance,” Holmgren asserted. “We need to finish games, quarters, and possessions effectively. It’s not just about the final moments; we must position ourselves to succeed throughout the entire 48 minutes.”