The decisive Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder reached a critical juncture at the end of the third quarter, with the Thunder holding a significant 81-68 lead. What began as a tightly contested battle, characteristic of winner-take-all scenarios, saw Oklahoma City seize control in the third frame, fueled by key plays and crucial Pacers errors.
Entering this high-stakes matchup at Paycom Center – the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 2016 – the narratives were compelling. The Pacers, consistently defying expectations throughout their underdog playoff run, faced the daunting historical odds favoring the home team. Oklahoma City, boasting an MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a dominant home record, was heavily favored. Adding to the pre-game tension, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle reportedly found motivation in seeing “2025 Champions” painted on Thunder buses, viewing it as premature celebration.
The game’s initial minutes lived up to the Game 7 billing, with both teams emphasizing defense. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, whose calf injury had been a concern earlier in the series but who played effectively in Game 6, started strong, knocking down multiple three-pointers to give Indiana an early edge and momentarily quiet the raucous home crowd.
However, the game took a dramatic and potentially devastating turn in the first quarter when Haliburton suffered a non-contact injury to his lower right leg, reported by his father as a potential Achilles issue. Visibly emotional and unable to bear weight, he was helped off the court and later ruled out for the remainder of the game. This injury forced the Pacers to rely heavily on their depth, particularly backup point guards like T.J. McConnell and Andrew Nembhard.
Despite the crushing loss of their floor general, the Pacers displayed remarkable resilience, managing to keep the game close and even take a narrow 48-47 lead into halftime. Their balanced scoring, effective three-point shooting (8-of-16 in the half), and swarming defense helped them navigate Haliburton’s absence. Meanwhile, the Thunder struggled from beyond the arc in the first half but found points in the paint and forced early turnovers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers at the break with 16 points, showcasing his scoring and playmaking ability.
The third quarter proved to be the turning point. The Thunder launched a critical surge, punctuated by plays like a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pull-up miss that was cleaned up by a putback from Isaiah Hartenstein, extending their lead. But the primary catalyst for OKC pulling away was the Pacers’ sudden struggle with turnovers. Indiana committed eight turnovers in the third quarter alone, bringing their total to 17 by the end of the period. The Thunder capitalized ruthlessly, scoring 27 points off Pacers turnovers through three quarters, a significant 18 of which came in the third quarter alone.
As the shot clock wound down on the other end, players like Pascal Siakam were forced into difficult attempts, such as a desperation shot that was off target, leading to a Thunder rebound that signaled the end of the third quarter. Despite T.J. McConnell’s scoring efforts to keep the Pacers within striking distance, the volume of mistakes allowed the Thunder to establish their largest lead of the game, taking an 81-68 advantage into the final frame. With the Thunder finally pulling away, the Pacers faced a daunting deficit, especially considering the historical context of Game 7s where teams holding a lead of 13 points or more entering the fourth quarter have a perfect record.
