It was the Bennedict Mathurin show.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals saw Mathurin lead the Indiana Pacers to a 116-107 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, and take a 2-1 lead in the series.
It was a bench player who stole the show in IndianapolisGettyIn large part, due to Mathurin’s performance.
The third-year pro out of Arizona scored 27 points off the bench, which led both teams.
That is the third-most in Finals history.
Mathurin is the first player to score 25 points or more off the bench in the Finals since Jason Terry did it all the way back in 2011 as a member of the Dallas Mavericks against LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
Terry helped pull off one of the biggest Finals upset, and gave James arguably his worst loss of his career.
Mathurin and the Pacers are looking to do the same to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder.
OKC has been head and shoulders above everyone in the postseason and for the majority of the regular season.
They have steamrolled through their opponents.
Until now that is.
The Pacers walked into this series as huge underdogs, but they refuse to go quietly into the night.
Mathurin shot the Pacers to victory in Game 3Getty The Thunder were helpless against MathurinGetty Terry helped put the Mavs over the Heat in 2011GerryThe Pacers have been fueled by Tyrese Haliburton hitting big shot after big shot and Pascal Siakam playing up to his All-NBA billing.
But on Wednesday evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, it was Mathurin’s night.
A place that hadn’t seen an NBA Finals game on their home court in 25 years, saw one of the biggest wins in team history.
The Pacers are now just two wins away from capturing its first NBA championship in franchise history.
They stole Game 1 in OKC, got waxed in Game 2, but answered the call and got back up for Game 3.
Game 4 can be the knockout blow if they go for the jugular.
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Sure, coming back down from 3-1 in the Finals isn’t impossible, but it’s clear as to why only one team has ever been able to do.
SGA and the Thunder will come out with their hair on fire on Friday evening to avoid such a hole/
The question is, will the Pacers?
But the more pertinent question may actually be, who is the unlikely hero to step up this time around?
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