Thunder Reeling After Game 3 Loss, as Pacers Take Control of NBA Finals

INDIANAPOLIS — As Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti emerged from the concourse deep inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse following a 116-107 defeat to the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, concern was etched across the face of one of the league’s most respected executives.

The Thunder are no longer in control. And the Pacers? They’re doing exactly what they’ve done all postseason — making the opposition uncomfortable.

Now trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, the 68-win Thunder — once hailed as a rising dynasty — find themselves just two losses away from a crushing end to their dream season.

“This one was uncharacteristic,” head coach Mark Daigneault said afterward, a word he repeated often. “They outplayed us the majority of the game.”

Oklahoma City turned the ball over 19 times, just one shy of its season-high. The usually composed, disciplined squad unraveled under the weight of Indiana’s defensive pressure and relentless tempo.

“The turnovers were uncharacteristic,” Daigneault emphasized. “We’re usually pretty clean there. I give them credit. They played really well.”

Indeed, the Pacers didn’t just play well — they dictated everything. The Thunder, known for suffocating defense, couldn’t apply their usual pressure. Indiana simply played too fast.

“Just the pace of their offense was sharper than our pressure and physicality,” Daigneault admitted. “They got the ball ahead of us more easily tonight than in Games 1 and 2.”

The fourth quarter was particularly jarring. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — the league MVP and engine of the Thunder’s offense — attempted only three shots and didn’t record a single assist.

“It felt like they won all the 50/50 plays,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They executed on both ends. When you give those things up, especially on the road, you’re going to lose the quarter — and probably the game.”

There were other red flags. The NBA’s best free-throw shooting team missed seven of its 30 attempts. Defensive lapses led to open looks. And overall, the Thunder seemed out of sync.

“Their tone was better than ours for most of the game,” said Daigneault. “We had some good stretches, but we made too many mistakes and let them control the identity of the game.”

So why the disconnect? Why did OKC — a team that prided itself on structure, pace, and execution — look so out of character in such a critical moment?

It wasn’t a strategic shock. The Pacers made only slight adjustments, such as pressing higher on pick-and-rolls. The real difference, as Gilgeous-Alexander pointed out, was about force and urgency.

“They were above the screen,” he said. “It comes down to who throws the first punch. And that was them.”

The Thunder, meanwhile, were back on their heels.

Curiously, this isn’t unfamiliar territory for OKC. They also dropped Game 3 in both of their previous playoff series — including the Western Conference semifinals, where they also trailed 2-1.

“We’ve been in that kind of predicament,” said forward Jalen Williams. “This Game 3 was better than the other ones, so we’ll take that and run with it. Obviously, you don’t like being down, but we’ve been here before.”

But this time is different. This is the NBA Finals.

“It’s a little different here,” said veteran Alex Caruso, the only player on the Thunder with Finals experience, having won a championship with the Lakers. “You put in so much effort and come up short — it stings more. That’s the Finals. That’s the cost.”

It would be easy to point to Oklahoma City’s youth as a reason for the stumble. But Indiana’s not exactly seasoned either. Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star, is just 25 — a year younger than Gilgeous-Alexander.

So perhaps the difference lies in the pressure. The Thunder were heavily favored — one of the biggest betting favorites in Finals history. The Pacers are playing with house money, and it shows.

Whatever the cause, Oklahoma City now faces a must-win Game 4 in a hostile Indiana environment. The stakes are high: historically, the team that wins Game 3 in a tied Finals series has gone on to win the championship 80.5% of the time. If the Pacers take Game 4 as well, that number jumps to 95.6%.

“We’ve got to learn from it and tap back into who we are,” Daigneault said. “If we do that, we’ll have a much better chance to win.”

And if they don’t? If they’re uncharacteristically outplayed again?

Then the Thunder’s dream season might end in disappointment — not with a coronation, but with a collapse.

Conclusion

Game 3 was more than just a loss for the Oklahoma City Thunder — it was a warning. The composure, discipline, and identity that defined their remarkable season were nowhere to be found, replaced by hesitation and inconsistency. Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers played with clarity, confidence, and conviction, seizing control of the series and exposing the cracks in OKC’s foundation.

With their backs now against the wall and the Finals slipping away, the Thunder must rediscover their identity — fast. Game 4 in Indiana will demand urgency, resilience, and the kind of response that champions deliver. If they fail to answer the call, a historic season could end not with glory, but with regret.