Pacers aren’t celebrating, Thunder aren’t panicking as sides reset for Game 4 of the NBA Finals

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers aren’t celebrating. The Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t panicking.

The NBA Finals scoreboard is what it is — Pacers 2, Thunder 1 — going into Game 4 of the best-of-seven title series on Friday night. Everybody can count to four, and everybody can see that Indiana is in a better position right now than Oklahoma City,

But the Pacers know if they were to partake in such thinking, that would be dangerous.

“There’s nothing to get excited about right now,” Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “We’re still a long way away.”

An even-keeled approach, for certain. The Thunder are going about business the same way.

“I just think we stay pretty emotionally even in all of the different experiences,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “You really see that when we win. I think if you’re going to get high on the wins, then the natural opposite of that is to get low on the losses. This team doesn’t really swing violently between those two things. Never has.”

Indiana grabbed control of the series on Wednesday night in a 116-107 win, a game in which the Pacers’ bench — led by Bennedict Mathurin’s 27 points in 22 minutes and T.J. McConnell’s 10 points, five assists and five steals in 15 minutes — outscored Oklahoma City’s reserves 49-18.

The Thunder starters were more than fine in Game 3: Oklahoma City opened the game with a 15-6 run, then started the third quarter — with the starters all on the floor — with an 8-0 burst. Add up those 7 minutes of play, and it was Thunder 23, Pacers 6. Add up the other 41 minutes of the game, and it was Pacers 110, Thunder 84.

“It’s got to be a killer edge to beat these guys,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’re going to be an underdog in every game in this series. … It’s a daunting challenge. Anything less than a total grit mindset, we just don’t have a chance.”

If Oklahoma City finds a way Friday, it goes home with a 2-2 series tie and two of the final three games of the series set to be played in its building. A loss, and it’s 3-1 — the sort of hole that few teams in NBA history have escaped.

“I think just the competitive greatness for this team has to be at an all-time high,” Thunder guard Alex Caruso said. “To be able to go on the road and win a game is a difficult thing in the playoffs, but especially staring 3-1 down in the face. You got to really get your mind right and get ready for the preparation that it’s going to take to go out there and compete for 48 minutes and get the win.”

Turner update

Myles Turner, who had five blocks for Indiana in Game 3, including two against Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren with about 2 minutes left — first a 3-pointer and then a 6-footer on the same possession — is dealing with an illness.

Turner was with the Pacers for film on Thursday and then was sent home. It seems like Indiana expect that he will play in Game 4.

Bounceback Thunder

Indiana hasn’t lost back-to-back games in three months. Oklahoma City hasn’t done so in two months.

The Thunder are 6-0 after losses since early April, 5-0 after losses in these playoffs.

“There’s a maximum four games left in the season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s what you worked the whole season for. It’s what you worked all summer for. To me, the way I see it, you got to suck it up, get it done and try to get a win.”

Haliburton’s free throws

In five games against Oklahoma City this season, Haliburton has been fouled in the act of shooting just once — in the first half of a Thunder-Pacers game on March 29.

He has not taken a free throw in this series. He’s the first player to log at least 109 minutes in the first three games of a finals and not take a single free throw since Miami’s Mario Chalmers in 2012 — also against the Thunder.

A 2-1 lead, again

In this current 16-team playoff format that dates back to 1984, Indiana is the sixth team to have a 2-1 lead in all four of its postseason series.

The others were the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2020, Boston in 2008, Detroit in 2004 and San Antonio in 2003.

All five of those teams went on to win the NBA title.

The last word

“We got great leaders on this team, the coaches and players who keep us on track with everything. We’re comfortable in close games. At the end of games, as well. We just trust our work, trust we got to get the ball into our guards’ hands and they’re going to make good plays.” — Pacers forward Obi Toppin.

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