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GAME 3 REACTION 🔥How did the Indiana Pacers wear down the Oklahoma City Thunder ⁉️ | Get Up



GAME 3 REACTION 🔥How did the Indiana Pacers wear down the Oklahoma City Thunder ⁉️ | Get Up

game three last night i will admit it i’m stunned pacers hosting the Thunder after the blowout that was game two this one was nip and tucked through the whole first half third quarter now tyrese Hallebertton space and he knocks down the three oh is that a shot attempt oh I’m sorry are we seeing an aggressive alley that’s the kind of play that you need to win these playoff games in the NBA finals the other side it’s Chad Homegrren who had 20 okc a two-point lead 5 seconds left in the third it’s Jayd Dub the little crossover he had 26 so OKC’s got a five-point lead going to the fourth quarter but in the fourth Jay Will it was Benedict Matan off the bench taking over the game yeah it’s just the bench play i mean look they they call him Kaminga East at times online but you see the talent and he showed you and put it on full display just getting to his spots on the court nine for 12 from the floor for Matan backman gives the Pacers it’s a two-point game and now it’s Nemhard going to knock in a jumper and then watch stay with the play alex Caruso oh it’s stolen by TJ McConnell and we tied at 95 next Pacer possession down by one it’s Matarin again 27 points you come off that screen if you’re in drop coverage that thing’s going up pacers a two-point lead and then so much room they give him the space and he knocks it down where’s that vaunted OKC defense pacers up by three and then Pacers now a five-point lead the other way we go obie Topphen over the topping he throws it down over Lou Dort pacers have a seven-point lead the lead is five with three minutes left kneesmith on the other end hallebertton had 11 assists to go with his 22 points pacers extending the lead to eight and then how about the defense from Miles Turner stuffing check turner had five blocks pacers own the fourth quarter stop me if you’ve heard that before and they win it 116 107 don’t look now indiana is in control of these NBA finals hallebertton spectacular the trend is simple when he plays well the Pacers win this postseason Hallebertton averaging 20 and 10 with seven rebounds and Pacer wins in their five losses he’s been nowhere to be found after the game Hallebertton was found at the mic and he had this to say about all of the noise yeah I think um the commentary is always going to be what it is you know most of the time the talking heads on the major platforms I I couldn’t care less honestly like what do they really know about basketball it doesn’t matter you know we’re here in the NBA finals two wins away from an NBA championship all right so I’m here with some guys who know nothing about basketball obviously uh having never played in the league or anything like that what would they know what what what did we think of that i mean I I think we all know a lot about basketball i think I watch a lot of tape a lot of film i think I talked to a lot of coaches a lot of GMs a lot of presidents and I think it’s okay to say hie that when you play well and when you’re aggressive and when you score 20 or less points your team is 27 and 28 when you score 20 or more points your team is now after this win 33 and4 so what did you see last night that was the difference between game one and game two you saw a guy that when he got lanes to the rim he wasn’t just looking to kick the ball out and pass it he wasn’t onedimensional he was a multi-dimensional threat on the court and when he is that type of threat to do things to win championships you do things you’re uncomfortable doing that’s a team that can win an NBA championship that’s who Harley needs to be how about Hallebertton uh I mean I agree with Jay man i mean as a player you want to say that you don’t you know you don’t pay attention to these things but the proof is in the numbers like I mean Ali we all are active basketball players my guy i mean like you know that these guys need you to score obviously you can facilitate the game you could come close to winning but when you’re in the game and you’re shooting shots like these floaters uh attempting these tough shots attempting these shots it gives you the rhythm it gives your team the rhythm it has everybody knowing that you’re being super aggressive tonight scoring playing off the ball passing the ball whatever is need to be done but we need you to score the ball and you did that tonight like yeah I mean it’s it’s evident eight and one when you scored 20 points in the playoffs like I get it you know everybody’s talking about it but it’s only game it was game three right like it was game three and it’s it’s just the world of media anytime you know you don’t play as well but when the numbers say what they say I can’t go around that like being 7-1 in the playoffs when you score 20 points you cannot get around that he has to be aggressive and listen from jump ball I felt like we had a total different player from one game one and two look I mean whatever needs to do to get himself there i mean yo the shot attempts he had rare shot attempts in the first two games he barely I said when I came on air we talked about look I need him to look at the rim do you know how hard that is to say as three hoopers on the court when you don’t look at the rim you are no longer a threat you were just a passer and that’s who he made himself in the first half so I’m going to get windy in here obviously you were there for it all last night in the postgame and everything else and so the Hallebertton storyline is one piece of this Brian Winhorse but I was looking through your notes and listening to your coverage after the game last night the other piece is these Pacers in the fourth quarter you’ve been talking about it since before the playoffs began they just wear teams down yeah when you know Rick Carile throughout the Eastern Conference Finals kept using the number 13 he kept saying it’s about 13 days well the number the Pacers are using now is 18 they’re trying to win this 18-day period that means outlast the Thunder in that stretch and outlast them in the game they are plus 33 in the fourth quarter of this series the the the Pacers over the first three quarters are getting outscored by the Thunder by 27 that is their game plan their game plan is to wear you down and if you watched how they approached this from the opening tip they’re playing three quarter and full court they were not even allowing free inbound passes at times you saw those TJ McConnell plays they were picking Shay Gildas Alexander up and bumping him and getting into him and you know Chad Homegrren was brilliant in the first quarter of this game in the fourth quarter not so much shay Gildas Alexander brilliant early in this game in the fourth quarter not so much this is how the team is built this is their strategy it is about winning the bench and the Thunder have a great bench but they got outplayed massively in that area last night and really that’s kind of where the game came down to after game two a game in which the Pacers got blown out and we were all talking about well OKC has reestablished you know their dominance and they’ll just sort of run them off the floor from this point wendy you even pointed out on our show on Monday morning the Pacers scored 60 points in the second half of that even that game I know some of it was garbage time but the point is this has been their strategy throughout the playoffs Wendy if they can get you deep into a game they feel like they’re going to win and the overwhelming majority of the time they do everybody who’s involved with this series thinks that the Thunder have the best defense of the of the most last decade or so the Pacers are feeling it every day but there have been six halves played in this series the Pacers have shot over 50% in four of them they’ve scored over 60 points in three of them yes there are moments where the Thunder you know squeeze them and shut them down but for the most part the Pacers are finding ways to to make damage on this defense it’s one of the most relevant things that we are seeing happening and the that struggle what I thought was firmly in Oklahoma City’s favor is looking more and more like it’s something the Pacers can manage they are putting points on the board against this team so where do we stand right now is an interesting question you got Indiana up two games to one with homecourt advantage headed to Friday night charles Barkley on the post game last night said the Thunder need to storm the beaches in game four listen Friday night is DDay friday night is DDay that’s that’s their season if they get down 3-1 they’re not going to win this series now if they get it to 2-2 they go back to being the favorite but Friday night is their game so let’s make this as clear as we can make it as far as Las Vegas is concerned as far as ESPN bet sports back sports book is concerned OKC remains a significant favorite in this series despite being down two games to one the numbers have come down but that is still for those of you who don’t speak gambling minus 240 is still a healthy favorite in the series and they are five and a half point favorites to win game four tomorrow so if I were to look you in the face right now Marcus and I were to say where do we stand here he’d been on it since the beginning i mean you you actually did pick Indiana before the thing began which you’re the only person I know who even considered it do you feel right now like the Indiana Pacers have the edge in these finals definitely you up 2-1 and you go back home for the game four like you definitely have the edge but like I said in the beginning of this series their pace will give OKC defense problems if you can tell in the fourth quarter the best thing about the fourth quarter is that they bang TJ McConnell and Obi Topp and Ben and they play extremely fast right that’s how you wear teams down that’s how you get them to be undisiplined when we talk about OKC we know how they play in the passing lanes we know how they play they play really uh boxes and elbows when you got a one-on-one player but this defense I mean this uh second unit from uh the Pacers play with fast pace continue to play the ball continue to moves and it it continues to make them be a little bit undisiplined and that’s a young team and that that’s what shows keith Pacers in the advantage i know I I know I’m speaking the obvious cuz they’re up two games to one have home court advantage and so maybe it’s just me not believing what my eyes are showing me but I think OKC has been and as I just showed you remain a prohibitive favorite who do you favor right now in this series i think I have to go with Marcus in this one i think I favored the Pacers right because you see no you see no it’s it’s a lot of stability even game two right you look at the box score they only made two more shots than than uh than Indiana and I think that um Indiana has a lot of energy right a lot of confidence right now right and they’re home this game on Friday like Chuck said means a lot and I think that they’re in prime position to win a championship right now i got to be honest I have no damn clue h I have no idea i usually have a a say but I I I have no clue a game of adjustments the Oklahoma City Thunder last won the NBA championship in 1979 they were the Seattle SuperSonics then the Indiana Pacers have never won the NBA championship they won the ABA Championship in 1973 something is going to give over the course of the next week and a half so I mean who do you believe your lying eyes or all logic at at right this point right now according to ESPN Bed Sportsbook OKC remains the favorite in the NBA final despite Indiana winning game three last night jay Will is breaking down tape so look this is going to be a very energetic kind of tape session for you guys at home you’re going to get a chance to see the level of intensity that TJ McConnell plays with as we look at two of these critical plays and you have Brian Wyers up here in the corner here’s the tape there you go wendy just wanted to make an appearance it’s okay it’s live TV okay so as the play is going to start first off what I love about this play it’s going to rotate side to side here’s the beautiful thing uh oh i mean just I have to do this guys i mean this is Come on i mean this is this this dude is 510 he’s 510 and watch how he’s going to post up case Wallace as the play slowly postes up shot goes up but when a shot goes up look at this pass boom goes in now here’s what happens right here look at this okay naturally when you’re playing this game of basketball okay players want to get back on defense oh I got to get back oh I got to get back but look at the contact here and watch how TJ McConnell picks up on this inbounders here he’s looking right here at Chad look at his eyes yeah his eyes are looking right to where he’s going to inbound the ball look at TJ McConnell right over here he sees that gap most players want to get back on defense tj McConnell wants to stay up keep pressure on the defense he pushes up right into this gap and you’re going to see quickly just that type of awareness boom he gets his steal now after he gets a steal play goes shot goes up ball gets now everybody’s going to box out once again tj McConnell just being active here crashes the board he’s 5’9 510 crashing the board activity he goes up he gets the offensive rebound and then look the vision again right out of side of his eyes he sees the pass here and makes the dime and gets the ball there and then boom finish just the energy level on that play all this and then he gets up again all the things you’re going to see him do and he continues to do the small details as the game goes he goes to the corner now this is great look at this here guys how many defenders do you see one two three four all their eyes are on the ball look at the player up here in the corner you’re going to see a dive right down to the basket right and the vision that you’re going to see from TJ McConnell in this situation he sees that even through all the traffic one two three four players he’s going to see a cutting player come down to the lane player goes makes the pass boom finishes and then look once again inbound pass look where he’s passing the ball he sees exactly where he’s passing the ball look at the eyes of TJ McConnell right here in that gap staying up on it again Greeny i mean just making play after play after play and the way the play just ends I mean this is what I love about him the most he throws the ball on him out of bounds and he squeezes at the camera he squeezes at the camera that’s the type of energy you need to have in order to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder absolutely you’ve got to match their fire with your fire oklahoma City is supposed to be the team that squeezes the life out of you and it’s Indiana that’s doing it and those are great examples heartbeat is just pounding no but that’s really well done and it goes to show you sometimes like they use the phrase they just seem to want it more you know wanting it more you know both sides want it but he acts he played LA last night like he wanted it more with outstanding tape and so the Pacers have a two games to one lead headed to game four of these NBA Finals the drama has really unfolded and we will have all the action for you tomorrow night 8:30 Eastern the games on ABC on ESPN and on ESPN radio coverage tips with NBA Countdown at 8:00 Eastern time

On Get Up, Brian Windhorst, Jay Williams, Marcus Morris Sr. and Markieff Morris recap the Indiana Pacers’ Game 3 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder of the 2025 NBA Finals.

0:00 Thunder-Pacers highlights
3:00 Reaction to Haliburton’s comments
5:31 Windy’s thoughts on Pacers’ win
7:10 Why did the Thunder run out of steam?
9:00 Do the Pacers have the edge in this series?
10:50 JWill breaks down T.J. McConnell

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38 Comments

  1. They say Hali shouldn’t be so sensitive but they sensitive and in they feelings even though he said “most of the time” the talking heads…It’s cool when they do it #Aight

  2. careful with the sensitive egos at the desk today. for what it's worth, hali was talking about guys like stephen a. and greeny. emotional responses to criticism aren't worth much. greeny tee'd those guys up and created an emotional conversation instead of one that was more balanced. they eventually got there, but they also got their sound bytes and stuff to cut up. just silly.

  3. Pacers could win the next game be up 3-1 and these clowns would say OKC was still the favorite. Halliburton was right about them

  4. So many cry babies In this comment section y'all talking like the series is over 😂

  5. Don't think Hali meant former players, WHO have played at Finals levels…i.e. stevie A, Greenie, & the bimbo's/eye candy…..not the former womens PLAYERS

  6. The breakdown of McConnell doing what he do is well captured here! It is making sense of another way Carlisle’s wear them down over seven games MO is carried out.

  7. If you nba “politicians” take offense to Hali’s comments, GROW UP most of yall have been giving Hali and the pacers NO chance during the playoffs, and here they are up on the Thunder just like the Bucks, Cavs and Knicks.

  8. Yeah you guys are absolutely hurt by what hali said 😂😂 maybe next year you guys will actually talk about the pacers. We have been dominant all playoffs, and y’all are just mad we are winning

  9. He got you all in your feelings. He probably wasn't even talking about you specifically he was just talking about generally. Get your panties out the bunch.

  10. SAS, Greenie, Windy, Shams, Shay, Ocho, McNutt…your name was called.
    Hali is 100% right and all these loudmouths are casual bias fanboys.
    The shameful OKC bias and SGA exposed as is media ignorance👎🏽

  11. haha all of the talking heads can dish the criticism, but never can they take it themselves and always act like its personal

  12. So ESPN really brain rot huh.
    Hali making those comments about the media, it’s not so much about their analysis, it was more how all yall doubted the pacers the entire way.

  13. im just trying to keep up with all of the abbreviattions for the players names. i am confusing players on different teams. but thanks to espn, im getting better at identifiying what these abbreviations mean and who they stand for. Thanks ESPN. one day i may be as cool as your cream of the crop commentators

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