INDIANAPOLIS — T.J. McConnell reddened, his veins bulging at the improbable. Of all the teams, of all the stages, the equally unassuming and volcanic guard caught the Thunder slipping in the worst way.
He’d pulled off a half-court heist, his second inbound steal of the second quarter — he’d collect a third, game-defining steal in the same fashion later — coming when he swiped away a pass befitting of the regular season. As deflating a sequence as possible, an edge in effort rubbed in by the 6-foot-1 McConnell. It was merely a microcosm of the way Oklahoma City’s night unfolded.
The Thunder’s 116-107 Game 3 loss, which gave it a 2-1 deficit in these NBA Finals, was delivered by fingernails as dirty as McConnell’s. Blue collar plays that stacked almost endlessly.
These Pacers didn’t need a miracle. No end-of-game voodoo or shot-clock sorcery. Their fortune was man-made, concocted in elbow grease.
They spent the night denying All-NBAers Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams the ball. Indiana’s defense hardened as much as it had all series. With just over nine minutes to play, Williams picked up his dribble, aiming for someone, anyone to shake their defender while the Pacers denied every action. He hopelessly aimed to send SGA downhill with a lead pass. He only led Indiana’s revolution.
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McConnell missed a short layup, which was corralled the same way the Pacers hoarded all the fourth-quarter momentous plays, resulting in an Andrew Nembhard jumper that trimmed OKC’s lead. Seconds later, McConnell pulled off the unthinkable, snatching Alex Caruso’s overhead inbound toss.
“In terms of inexcusable,” said coach Mark Daigneault, asked about the nature of those steals while using a word he essentially scoffed at, “everybody is out there competing and trying. I’m not going to place blame on those plays. I just thought (Indiana’s) overall tone was better than ours for the majority of the game.”
The Pacers set that early.
They dropped 40 second-quarter points, among the loosest quarters of OKC’s postseason. Indiana fastened the top button on OKC’s offense.
By the time Gilgeous-Alexander reached half court on most possessions, he’d already put in a day’s work. That was before being asked to shake Nembhard or Aaron Nesmith for a score. His touches resulted in well-timed doubles. His pick-and-rolls were met with face-to-face, high-up coverages. His wiggles to the rim, few and far between in a 24-point, six-turnover performance, were like a sheep slipping past the herding dog.
Williams was tasked with keeping OKC’s eight-point lead intact entering the second. His mid-range jumpers, seemingly premature and without exploration, allowed Indiana back in. He went 1 for 5 on non-paint 2s.
And yet, the Thunder entered the fourth with a five-point lead and as much momentum as a visitor can buy in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. OKC’s money just wasn’t any good.
The Thunder offense decayed the way it has in two of these three fourth quarters; it still hasn’t won a fourth quarter in these Finals. In Games 1 and 3, the only two that were within mere possessions late, OKC has been outscored by a combined 24 points.
In the final 5:25, OKC missed nine of its last 10 attempts, missed three of its eight free throws and committed a turnover. The Pacers blocked five shots during that span.
McConnell’s steals were among those ingrained in OKC’s collectively disappointed mind, but it had a gallery to choose from. Shot clock violations, strips, pokes, interceptions, “touchdowns” as Williams called them. The Thunder unraveled behind a postseason high in turnovers (19) and recklessness.
“They sucked,” Williams said. “Just bad unforced turnovers. Those usually hurt you, especially in these games where there’s such high stakes and it’s going to be separated by one or two possessions. Those are very controllable turnovers.”
The number of winning plays that Indiana stacked was worthy of Pacers fans ripping their shirts from their torsos in a triumphant rage. Worthy of ESPN’s Pat McAfee’s rally call. Worthy of now holding a lead in the series.
There was Obi Toppin’s ferocious, uncontested putback dunk with under five minutes remaining; McConnell’s red-faced frenzy; 10 more points from Bennedict Mathurin (he finished with 27), which contributed to 49 bench points; a 3-pointer from Nesmith as Gilgeous-Alexander nearly trampled him; one of the many stepback 3s from Tyrese Haliburton, who finished Wednesday a rebound shy of a 22-point triple-double.
Daigneault, who suggested he’d need to watch film but could only be sure that the fourth quarter was a nightmare, did not seem to care to draw the big picture of his team’s meltdown.
“Don’t be down eight with two-and-a-half (minutes) to go if you want to win,” he said.
Tell that to the Pacers. They picked up a demoralizing, breathtaking Game 1 win — now seemingly the difference in a series that leaves the Thunder more or less forced to win Game 4 in Indianapolis.
For one of the few times in these playoffs, the Thunder handily lost a game that was within reach for a full fourth quarter. Not stolen at the last second. Not taken out of distance well before the final 12 minutes. Convincingly secured by a team that seemed branded by hustle.
The Thunder has seen this. It survived it. The inflection point of its postseason, the Denver series, almost mirrored this same three-game unraveling.
Caruso admitted that this 2-1 deficit is more frustrating given the stakes. Center Chet Holmgren won’t think to compare them.
“I wouldn’t say that now is the time for emotions to be thinking about how you’re feeling,” said Holmgren, who missed eight of his final 10 attempts after a monstrous first quarter. “Emotional this, emotional that. You kind of have to cut that out and just look at the substance of what it is.
“We have a great opportunity here. The great thing is we have another game coming up, Game 4.”
The same opportunity a Wednesday night hero like McConnell has to snatch OKC’s inbound — and title — hopes. Music to his crimsoned ears.
Joel Lorenzi covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joel? He can be reached at jlorenzi@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @joelxlorenzi. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Joel’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
