INDIANAPOLIS — A sea of gold-clad Pacers fans, their chests puffed, spilled onto the concourse after Indiana’s 116-107 Game 3 win Wednesday night in Indianapolis. Amid the cacophony of chatter and cheers, I heard something that struck me.
“I still think they think they’re supposed to win,” one Pacers fan said.
They, being the Thunder.
I don’t know if the Thunder ever thought it was supposed to win these NBA Finals — that kind of entitlement is contrary to OKC’s organizational dogma — but not until Wednesday night, filing out of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, did I entertain the idea that the Pacers could actually win this series. That the Thunder could actually lose it.
Maybe the Pacers are a team of destiny. Maybe the Thunder is beatable.
I picked the Thunder in five before the series, and even after Indiana got a split in Oklahoma City, I stuck with my prediction. Thunder in five is no longer mathematically possible. Pacers in five is.
Alternating chants of “INDY … ANA” echoed in the concrete stairwell as fans exited the arena.
“I can’t believe we experienced that,” a Pacers fan said as they shuffled onto Delaware Street, where the air was thick with astonishment.
A firetruck did victory laps around the arena. “Let’s go Pacers!” one of the firefighters said over a megaphone.
This series is far from over, but the Pacers have already made it more competitive than most of us thought.
Haliburton was brilliant in Game 3, outplaying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. T.J. McConnell and the Pacers were Thunder-like in their theft. Bennedict Mathurin outscored … everybody. The Thunder wasted a rare, good 3-point shooting game on the road with brick after brick from the midrange.
Still, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle doubled-down on his praise for the Thunder the morning after Game 3. Carlisle has been in this business long enough to know an all-time team when he sees one.
“The magnitude of the challenge with Oklahoma City is daunting because of the kind of year that they had and how great they are,” Carlisle said. “They’re historically great in so many different areas, and they got the MVP. It’s hard. It takes nothing less than everything we possibly have … It’s only been three games. It feels like it’s been longer.”
Haliburton was similarly humble, which tells you something.
“To play against these guys is an honor,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “It’s a lot of fun. This is a 68-win team, historically one of the best defenses ever. This is a really good team. They have the MVP. They have a bunch of dudes who are going to be in this league for a long time having a lot of success.”
The idea of this Pacers team beating the Thunder four times in seven tries seemed improbable. Whether you’re into analytics or the eye test, there wasn’t a rational case to pick the Pacers.
But now … you don’t have to squint to envision Haliburton and Co. raising the Larry O’Brien trophy.
And yet I’m still picking the Thunder to win the series. OKC has been here before, down 2-1 to Denver in the Western Conference semifinals. The Thunder won Game 4 in Denver which set up a three-game series with two of the final three games in OKC. The Thunder won that series in seven, and could follow the same blueprint against the Pacers.
“I can’t say enough good things about their team as a group,” Haliburton said. “I think the most fun part about basketball is if you’re going to win, you don’t want to do it any other way than to beat the best. This team has been the best team in the NBA all year. They consistently respond when their backs are against the wall.”
Can the Thunder do it again? I think so.
That Pacers fan made me pause, though. Maybe Indiana could actually do this.
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
