The Pacers are facing elimination down 3-2 to the Thunder in the best-of-seven NBA Finals, with Game 6 on Thursday in Indianapolis.

Haliburton appeared to aggravate the injury in the first quarter but played through it on Monday night, when host Oklahoma City won 120-109. He missed all six of his field-goal attempts while ending up with four points, seven rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes.

"It's the Finals," the point guard said after Game 5. "I've worked my whole life to be here and I want to be out there to compete, help my teammates any way I can.

"I was not great tonight by any means, but it's not really a thought of mine to not play here. If I can walk, then I want to play."

Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said of Haliburton, "He's not 100 percent. It's pretty clear. But I don't think he's going to miss the next game.

"We were concerned at halftime. He insisted on playing. I thought he made a lot of really good things happen in the second half. But he's not 100 percent. There's a lot of guys in this series that aren't."

Haliburton is averaging 17.9 points, 9.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 21 postseason games. He averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 73 regular-season games.

The draft is scheduled for June 25-26 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Dallas Mavericks have the No. 1 overall pick and are widely projected to choose Duke forward Cooper Flagg.

The 13 players, along with their current team (country of team) and height:

Mohammad Amini, Nancy (France), 6-7

Alec Anigbata, Ulm (Germany), 6-9

Neoklis Avdalas, Peristeri (Greece), 6-7

Bassala Bagayoko, Bilbao (Spain), 6-10

Asim Djulovic, OKK Beograd (Serbia), 6-9

Mouhamed Faye, Reggio Emilia (Italy), 6-9

Lazar Gacic, OKK Beograd (Serbia), 6-11

Ben Henshall, Perth (Australia), 6-5

Malique Lewis, SE Melbourne (Australia), 6-8

Mathias M'Madi, Moron (Spain), 6-5

Zaion Nebot, Le Havre (France), 6-2

Michael Ruzic, Joventut (Spain), 6-9

David Torresani, Treviso (Italy), 6-1

The All-Star guard got off to an extremely slow start in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City on Monday, missing all five of his first-half shot attempts while going scoreless.

At halftime, the injury was reported on ABC, though the issue hadn't kept Haliburton off the court. He played nearly 17 first-half minutes, third most on the team, despite wearing a wrap on his leg in the second quarter.

The Pacers trailed the Thunder 59-45 at the half as each team looked to take a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series.

Haliburton delivered the dagger jump shot to sink the Thunder on their home court in Game 1 as the Pacers won 111-110. Indiana coach Rick Carlisle revealed prior to Game 3 that Haliburton was dealing with a leg injury.

"I don't think you're going to hear him making a big deal out of it," Carlisle said.

The Thunder lead the series 3-2, moving themselves within a game of the franchise's first NBA title since the team moved to Oklahoma City.

The series resumes Thursday in Indianapolis.

Even without much offensive production from Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers cut what was an 18-point first-half deficit to two on Pascal Siakam's 3-pointer from the wing with 8:30 remaining.

The Thunder immediately responded, though, with Cason Wallace grabbing the rebound on Williams' missed layup and flipping it to Lu Dort, who found Williams for a 3-pointer.

After making just three 3-pointers in Game 4, the fewest in an NBA Finals win since 2010, Oklahoma City made 14 in Game 5.

On the next possession, Wallace stepped in front of an Andrew Nembhard pass near halfcourt and raced for a fastbreak dunk.

The plays ignited an 18-4 run that helped the Thunder put the game away.

Williams continued his hot stretch in the Finals, going 14-of-25 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. He also added six rebounds and four assists.

Gilgeous-Alexander was 9-for-21 from the field and 13-of-14 at the free-throw line.

After being held without an assist in Game 4, the NBA Most Valuable Player added 10 assists and four blocks. Four of Gilgeous-Alexander's assists and two steals came in the fourth quarter.

Williams scored 11 of his points in the fourth.

But it was the Thunder's defense that led the way Monday.

Oklahoma City scored 13 of its 33 fourth-quarter points off eight Indiana turnovers.

The Thunder finished with 32 points off 23 Pacers turnovers.

Haliburton, who stunned the Thunder with the game-winning shot in the final second of Game 1, finished with just four points, going 0 for 6 from the floor. ABC reported during the game that the All-Star guard was battling a leg injury. He did have seven rebounds and six assists.

Siakam led the Pacers with 28 points and T.J. McConnell scored 18 points off the bench.

Heading into Monday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals at home against the Indiana Pacers, with the best-of-seven series tied 2-2, Caruso is as big of a reason as any why the Thunder are two wins from the franchise's first title since moving to Oklahoma City.

Caruso played in just 54 games during the regular season, starting just three, and played 30 or more minutes just once.

But in the postseason, particularly this series, the veteran guard's presence has expanded.

Caruso has averaged 14.8 points, 2.5 steals and 29.5 minutes per game in the series and while he's not in the starting lineup, he's on the floor during critical situations late in close games.

"He's a gamer," Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of Caruso. "You plug him in anywhere, any lineup, feels like any group, he makes a difference. Makes everyone around him better. He is always talking. He always knows where we're supposed to be, where the other team is supposed to be.

"He has instincts that are special. I don't think you can teach things like that. He just knows where the ball is going, where a rebound is bouncing to, how to get a deflection, timely steals. He just has an amazing feel for the game and is an insane competitor."

After not scoring more than 19 points during the regular season, Caruso has scored 20 points thrice in the playoffs, including twice in the Finals.

He had 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting in Oklahoma City's 111-104 victory in Game 4 in Indianapolis.

Caruso said his secret has been approaching every moment the same.

"I want to win," Caruso said. "I don't care if it's (a) pickup (game) in September before training camp. I don't care if it's Game 45, 50, before All-Star break. If it's the Finals and you're down 2-1, I want to win. That's what I'm focused on."

Caruso is the only player on the Thunder with Finals experience before this season, having been a part of the Lakers' 2020 title.

While their roles are significantly different, Pascal Siakam has added a similar level of experience for the Pacers, having been a part of Toronto's 2019 title.

Siakam said that experience has helped him this time around.

"On the floor, I was one of the guys that would go and get things to happen for us, but off the court, I was year three," Siakam said. "We had so many veterans on our team that had been through way more than I could ever imagine as a player. ... I think this time around, just having been one of those guys that has been there or one of the few guys that has been there, and I'm year nine or 10 or whatever, it's like I have way more to say and I can impact not only by saying things but also on the floor."

While the Thunder are looking to keep building momentum after outscoring Indiana 12-1 in the final three minutes of Game 4, the Pacers are looking to put away the disappointing loss after letting a chance to take firm command of the series slip away.

"The biggest thing is you can't let one spiral into two," Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton said. "You can't take the disappointment of that game and let it be a snowball effect. You have to be ready to go for Game 5 here, again in a hostile environment. We are both two games away. Anything can happen here. So you have to move on as quickly as you can."

The Thunder are in this position for the second time in the postseason, having beaten Denver in seven games in the second round after being tied 2-2 after four games.

"Two wins and you get the job done," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "That's what I felt like I was focused on in the Denver series and we were able to do so, and same thing for this series."

The Pacers haven't been in this position in this postseason, having led all three of their previous series 3-1 after four games.

In return, Memphis will receive guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap, per the report.

Bane, 26, was the No. 30 overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft and spent five seasons with the Grizzlies. He has career averages of 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists over 29.6 minutes per game.

In 2024-25, he exceeded those numbers with 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He shot 39.2 percent from 3-point-territory.

A 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Bane has faced injury woes the past three seasons, limited to just 58 games in 2022-23, followed by seasons with 42 and 69 games.

Caldwell-Pope, 32, will provide veteran leadership for the Grizzlies. Now 32, he was selected No. 8 overall in the 2013 draft and has two NBA title on his resume, playing for the Detroit Pistons (2013-17), Los Angeles Lakers (2017-21), Washington Wizards (2021-22), Denver Nuggets (2022-24) and Magic.

He has career averages of 11.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 912 games. In 2024, those numbers were 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 77 games.

Anthony, 25, was taken by Orlando with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2020 draft. In five seasons and 320 games with the Magic, he has averages of 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

Bane had signed a five-year, $197.2 million contract extension with the Grizzlies in July of 2023 and is under contract through the 2028-29 season.

Those are the three teams Durant would commit to for a longer term, per the ESPN report Saturday night. He has one season left on his current deal and is set to earn $54.7 million in 2025-26.

While word of Durant's preferences has spread across the NBA, the Suns also have been clear that they will make the best move for the team, regardless of the desires of the 15-time All-Star.

The Minnesota Timberwolves also are expected to be among the teams in the mix for a trade.

Durant, who turns 37 in September, played in 62 games with the Suns in 2024-25. He averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks, not far off of his career averages. He also shot 43.0 percent from 3-point range.

Selected to the All-NBA first team six times, Durant has appeared in 1,123 games with the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-16), Golden State Warriors (2016-19), Brooklyn Nets (2020-23) and Suns. He has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds. 4.4 assists and 1.1 blocks, shooting 39 percent from long distance.

Once the new league year begins on July 6, Durant is eligible to sign a two-year extension worth up to $122 million.

The Suns finished 36-46 and missed the NBA playoffs in the 2024-25 seasons. Head coach Mike Budenholzer was fired after just one season.

The veteran big man spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, starting 466 games. During that span, he averaged 9.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

After one season with the New Orleans Pelicans, Adams became a mainstay for the Memphis Grizzlies, helping their young core led by Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. finish second in the Western Conference in back-to-back seasons.

Last season, Adams regularly came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season, but remained a solid contributor for the Rockets, averaging 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in only 13.7 minutes per game.

Houston had a breakout season this year, landing in second place in the West with a 52-30 record.

The Rockets were 5.0 points per 100 possessions better with Adams on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. That placed him in the 79th percentile in the NBA.

The contract extension locks up a long-term quality backup for all-star center Alperen Sengun.

Set to chat with the Knicks are former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins, who coached the Memphis Grizzlies, per the report.

The Knicks have been turned aside in their efforts to talk with current NBA head coaches, with their teams not granting permission. The list includes Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks), Chris Finch (Minnesota Timberwolves), Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets) and Quin Snyder (Atlanta Hawks).

The Knicks fired Thibodeau last week after the team lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals -- the first time they'd advanced to that round in 25 years.

Brown, 55, was fired 31 games into his third season in Sacramento, where he posted a 107-88 overall record. He previously was the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-10, 2013-14) and Los Angeles Lakers (2011-12) and has a career record of 454-304 in the regular season.

His teams are 50-40 in the postseason, and Brown took the LeBron James-led Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in the 2006-07 season. Cleveland was swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

He's been named NBA Coach of the Year twice, first with Cleveland following the 2008-09 season and then with Sacramento in 2022-23, when he led the Kings to their first postseason in 16 seasons.

The Grizzlies fired Jenkins, 40, in March with nine games left in the regular season and a 44-29 record. At the time he was ousted. the Grizzlies were tied for fourth place in the standings in the Western Conference. They ended the season 3-6 and fell to the play-in round, capturing the No. 8 seed.

They were swept by the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the play-in round.

Jenkins had a 250-214 record in nearly six full seasons with the Grizzlies. They qualified for the playoffs three times and were 9-14, winning just one series.

The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Monday in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder trailed by seven entering in the fourth quarter but outscored Indiana 31-17 in the last period to escape with the victory.

Oklahoma City closed with a 12-1 run over the last three minutes.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault changed up his rotation a bit, giving Gilgeous-Alexander breaks earlier in each half, and it seemingly paid off in the fourth.

Typically Gilgeous-Alexander sits early in the second and fourth quarters, but Friday, he sat late in the third and played virtually all of the fourth quarter.

With just less than four minutes remaining, the Pacers led 101-97 before Gilgeous-Alexander took over.

The NBA Most Valuable Player scored 13 points the rest of the way, making both of his field-goal attempts and all eight of his free-throw attempts to lift his team to victory.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished 12 of 24 from the field, 10 of 10 at the free-throw line with three steals, a block and just two turnovers. He had no assists.

With 2:21 left, Gilgeous-Alexander drove wide to the basket, pulling up from 14 feet out and hitting a step-back jumper over Aaron Nesmith to put the Thunder ahead for the first time in the second half, 104-103.

Jalen Williams also had a big game for the Thunder, finishing with 27 points and seven rebounds. He was 11-for-11 at the free-throw line. Alex Caruso added 20 points and five steals off the bench in the win.

Oklahoma City was 34 of 38 (89.5 percent) at the line but was just 3 of 17 (17.6 percent) on 3-point tries.

The Thunder hadn't hit fewer than seven 3-pointers in any game during the 2024-25 regular season or postseason.

Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 20 points, starting hot with 10 points and four steals in the first quarter. He finished 6 of 15 from the field with five steals and eight rebounds.

Tyrese Haliburton added 18 points and seven assists while Obi Toppin had 17 points off the Indiana bench.

The Pacers made a push late in the third, with a 24-14 run to take a 10-point lead -- their largest of the night.

Toppin hit back-to-back 3-pointers during that stretch.

"That's the challenge before us right now, is to maintain," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "It's got to be a killer edge to beat these guys. We're going to be an underdog in every game in this series. ... It's a daunting challenge.

"Anything less than a total grit mindset, we just don't have a chance."

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City finds itself down 2-1 for the second time, so the Thunder aren't panicking entering Game 4 on the road Friday night.

"Being down 2-1 in a series, it can have emotions associated with it, but dragging those into the next experience isn't going to help anybody," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Thursday.

"Them being up 2-1, dragging that in isn't going to help them, either. You have to compete when the ball goes up in the air. We've made a habit of that. We have to double down again on that tomorrow."

ODDS & TRENDS

The Thunder are consensus 6.0-point favorites, and have been the favorite heading into every game of the NBA Finals so far.

The Pacers have been backed by 72 percent of the spread-line money at BetRivers, while the Thunder have drawn 87 percent of the moneyline action as +188 underdogs. The action has been similar at BetMGM, with Oklahoma City backed by 55 percent of the spread-line money while Indiana has been supported by 79 percent of the moneyline handle at +190.

BetRivers noted that each of the past seven NBA Finals Game 4s have gone under the total points line. So, it's interesting to note that 84 percent of the money wagered on Friday's total points line of 226.5 has backed the over.

The home team has also won the first half in each of Indiana's past 11 games.

KEY STATS

--The Pacers have outscored the Thunder 67-43 in the fourth quarter in their two wins in the series.

--The Thunder lost back-to-back games just twice during the regular season and have yet to drop consecutive games in the playoffs.

PROP PICKS

--Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 24.5 Points (-590 at BetRivers): This has garnered the most money among Game 4 props at the book with 1.6 percent of the action. SGA broke a playoff string of four consecutive games with at least 34 by contributing "only" 24 on Wednesday. That is outside the norm, as he has topped 24 points in 15 of 19 postseason games. Despite the short odds required to get SGA at over 24.5 points, there is a very high likelihood he cruises past that mark with OKC in desperate need of a victory.

--Luguentz Dort under 13.5 points/rebounds/assists (-105 at BetMGM): The Oklahoma City guard interestingly has drawn the most total prop bets at the book. He had 12 points and four rebounds in Game 4, although Dort did not record an assist. For the series, he is averaging 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game for a combined average of 14.0.

KEY TO THE GAME

For the Thunder, getting back to their defensive identity is at the forefront after the Pacers shot 51.8 percent (44 of 85) from the field in Game 3.

"We've kind of strayed away from it a little bit," forward Jalen Williams said. "I think when you're scoring at a good rate, sometimes it can drop off a little bit. That's something that we've looked at.

"There will be some game-plan adjustments, for sure," he continued. "A lot of that is just competing. I don't want to say ‘competing' because that sounds like you're out there not trying. Defensively locking in on a lot of the little things, not let them get comfortable and make those bigger runs late in the game."

INJURY REPORT

Indiana's Myles Turner continues to battle an illness, though he had a critical block and rebound late in Wednesday's win.

Carlisle said Turner was with the team during their film session Thursday before heading home to recuperate.

"Hopefully, he'll feel better tomorrow," Carlisle said. "We'll see."

THEY SAID IT

--"We have to be who we are and who we've been all season. I think we got back to that in that series. If we want to give ourselves a chance in this series, it has to be the same thing." -- Gilgeous-Alexander, referencing Oklahoma City's Game 4 win against Denver while trailing 2-1 in that series.

--"I think the biggest thing with right now is this is like a really exciting time. To play against these guys is an honor. 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. ... As competitors, you want to compete against the best and these guys are the best." -- Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton.

PREDICTION

The Thunder have won eight consecutive road games following a loss, and we expect them to run that streak to nine on Friday night. They're still the series favorite for a reason, and Game 4 presents a critical opportunity to earn home-court advantage back. However, they'll have to cope better with Indiana's raucous home environment than they did in Game 3. -- Pacers 115, Thunder 110

Also, 2K agreed in principle to terms to extend its relationships with the NBA G League and USA Basketball.

"NBA 2K has engaged a new generation of basketball fans in an increasingly digital world," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "By expanding our partnership and creating NBA Take-Two Media, we look forward to building on the incredible success of the NBA 2K franchise."

Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive, said he was happy to continue the partnership with the NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

"I would like to thank Adam Silver, (NBPA executive director) Andre Iguodala, and all our partners at the NBA and NBPA for their continued support and shared vision to empower NBA 2K to become the premier interactive entertainment basketball franchise," Zelnick said. "We are excited to unveil NBA Take-Two Media and look forward to seeing how it will create an entirely new and multi-faceted NBA experience for our communities."

That also applies to the WNBA, which saw its stars first appear in NBA 2K20.

"2K is where millions of young fans deepen their interest and fall further in love with the game of basketball. That's why this partnership is so important," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. "As the WNBA continues to reach new milestones on the court and across fandom, our presence in NBA 2K ensures that our league and athletes are visible, celebrated, and inspiring the next generation of WNBA fans around the world."

Terri Carmichael Jackson, the executive director of WNBPA, labeled Friday's news as a defining moment for women's basketball.

"Our players continue to raise the bar, and this renewed partnership with 2K ensures their impact is felt not just on the court, but across culture, gaming and the global growth of the sport," she said. "This expansion will elevate the entire league and the women who power it. It's also a recognition of the players' business value and their role in driving the future of the game."

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson and the legendary Vince Carter adorned the covers of the NBA 2K25 series of video games.

Tatum was on the cover of the standard edition, Wilson represented the game's WNBA version and Carter served as the face of the Hall of Fame edition.

The game in Indianapolis averaged 9.19 million viewers on ABC, a 5 percent increase from Game 2, according to a report from Front Office Sports on Friday.

That's still a 20 percent drop from the 11.43 million who watched Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.

It was the least-watched Finals Game 3 since the 2020 COVID "bubble" year when 6.08 million tuned in for the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers -- a contest that occurred on an NFL Sunday in October.

The Pacers' Game 3 win peaked with 11.54 million viewers during the 11 p.m. ET quarter-hour. That surpassed the final minutes of Game 1 (11.1 million) as the highest point of the series so far.

The three-game average for the best-of-seven series is up to 8.95 million viewers, a 23 percent decline from 2024.

Game 4 is Friday night in Indianapolis and Game 5 is Monday in Oklahoma City.

The decision would make the 36-year-old veteran a free agent on June 30. The nine-time All-Star is coming off surgery last month to repair two breaks to his right hand.

Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 75 games (36 starts) in his first season with the Nuggets in 2024-25.

The two-time NBA scoring champion and 2016-17 league MVP boasts career averages of 21.2 points, 8.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds in 1,237 games (1,075 starts) with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Nuggets.

Westbrook is the all-time leader in triple-doubles (203) and ranks eighth in NBA history in assists (9,925) and 23rd in points (26,205) but is still seeking his first championship.

Finney-Smith, 32, has played through the lingering injury for several years, according to the report, and the surgery will make him pain-free. He missed eight games last season due to left ankle issues, per Lakers' injury reports, after sitting out 12 games with the Brooklyn Nets for a sprained left ankle and a left calf contusion which he had said was related to the ankle issue.

Finney-Smith averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 43 regular-season games (20 starts) with the Lakers, who acquired him from Brooklyn on Dec. 29, 2024. Los Angeles was 29-14 in games he played, including 14-6 as a starter, and qualified as the Western Conference's No. 3 seed in the playoffs.

He averaged 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20 games (all starts) with the Nets last season.

For his career, Finney-Smith has averaged 8.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 28.0 minutes in 591 games (444 starts) for the Dallas Mavericks (2016-23), Nets (2023-24) and Lakers.

Finney-Smith has a June 29 deadline to opt out of the final year of his contract, with a value of $15.4 million for next season. He has been eligible since mid-February to negotiate an extension before the beginning of free agency on June 30.

The Indiana Pacers aren't taking anything for granted.

Heading into Friday's Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Indianapolis, the teams say they're not changing much about the approaches that have worked for them.

The Pacers lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 -- an edge they've held in each of their four series this postseason.

"That's the challenge before us right now, is to maintain," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "It's got to be a killer edge to beat these guys. We're going to be an underdog in every game in this series. ... It's a daunting challenge. Anything less than a total grit mindset, we just don't have a chance."

The Pacers have thrived in that underdog role, something that guard Tyrese Haliburton said after their Game 1 win has driven him and the rest of the team since last season.

For the Thunder, it's the second time they've faced such a deficit. They were down after three games in the Western Conference second-round series against Denver before eventually winning in seven.

Oklahoma City lost back-to-back games just twice during the regular season and has yet to drop consecutive games in the playoffs.

"Being down 2-1 in a series, it can have emotions associated with it, but dragging those into the next experience isn't going to help anybody," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Thursday. "Them being up 2-1, dragging that in isn't going to help them, either. You have to compete when the ball goes up in the air. We've made a habit of that. We have to double down again on that tomorrow."

Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's MVP, said that while it was difficult to compare the situations directly from the series against the Nuggets, there were lessons to be learned in how the team responded there.

"We have to be who we are and who we've been all season," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I think we got back to that in that series. If we want to give ourselves a chance in this series, it has to be the same thing."

Haliburton said he has struggled to sleep much during the Finals, thanks to a mixture of excitement and stress.

The fifth-year guard is coming off his best game in the series, with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds in Indiana's 116-107 home win in Game 3.

"I think the biggest thing with right now is this is like a really exciting time. To play against these guys is an honor," 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. ...

"As competitors, you want to compete against the best and these guys are the best."

For the Thunder, getting back to their defensive identity is at the forefront after the Pacers shot 51.8 percent (44 of 85) from the field in Game 3.

"We've kind of strayed away from it a little bit," forward Jalen Williams said. "I think when you're scoring at a good rate, sometimes it can drop off a little bit. That's something that we've looked at.

"There will be some game-plan adjustments, for sure," he continued. "A lot of that is just competing. I don't want to say ‘competing' because that sounds like you're out there not trying. Defensively locking in on a lot of the little things, not let them get comfortable and make those bigger runs late in the game."

The Pacers have outscored the Thunder 67-43 in the fourth quarter in their two wins in the series.

Indiana's Myles Turner continues to battle an illness, though he had a critical block and rebound late in Wednesday's win.

Carlisle said Turner was with the team during their film session Thursday before heading home to recuperate.

"Hopefully, he'll feel better tomorrow," Carlisle said. "We'll see."

"You got to suck it up. There's a maximum four games left in the season," Gilgeous-Alexander said Thursday of the hands-on defense from Indiana in Game 3. "It's what you worked the whole season for. It's what you worked all summer for. To me, the way I see it, you got to suck it up, get it done and try to get a win."

Game 4 on Friday is vital to Oklahoma City after falling behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. Indiana appeared to be the better conditioned team on Wednesday night, closing out Game 3 with a finishing kick and riding the adrenaline of a locked-in home crowd. Pacers' coach Rick Carlisle gave additional credit to Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard and Aaron Nesmith for their collective defensive effort and the role it played in limiting Gilgeous-Alexander's contributions.

"I wouldn't say it surprised me," Thunder forward Chet Holmgren said of the Pacers' stamina in Game 3. "That's kind of been I guess you could say their identity leading up to this series. It's what's showed up in the games up to this point. We have to figure out a way to counteract that and kind of change that and swing it in our favor because it's not a winning formula to not be better than the other team in the fourth quarter."

Gilgeous-Alexander had only four free throw attempts in the second half of Game 3 and appeared to wear down late in the game. He only took three shots in the final 12 minutes.

"We were a little out of character in a lot of ways yesterday," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "I think that happens in a playoff series. Four games, five games, six games, seven games is a long time. You're going to get a range of games and experiences in that. We have to get it course corrected pretty quickly if we want to give ourselves a better chance in Game 4."

Reserve guards Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell helped Indiana's bench break out with 49 points as the Pacers topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 on Wednesday to claim a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

Indiana star Tyrese Halliburton finished one rebound shy of a triple-double and didn't entirely shed his playoff cape. He provided ample heroics with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds and Pascal Siakam added 21 points for the Pacers, who haven't lost consecutive games since December.

Still, the game swung in a serious way on the fearless energy and competitive teeth of the Indiana bench.

"Those guys were tremendous," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of his reserves. "T.J. just brought a competitive will to the game. This is the kind of the team we are. This is how we have to do it. We have to make it as difficult on them as we can."

Thanks to 27 points from Mathurin and the kind of pyrotechnics the Pacers have grown to adore from reserve point guard McConnell, Indiana has the advantage in the best-of-seven series entering Game 4 on Friday.

"His energy was unbelievable. I joke with him, I call him the Great White Hope," Haliburton said of McConnell, a fan favorite. "He does a great job of just giving us energy plays consistently, getting downhill, making hustle play after hustle play."

Mathurin, who was injured and didn't play in the postseason last year, checked into the game for the first time in the second quarter.

"Just playing hard, it's a group of guys that play extremely hard," Mathurin said of the Pacers' second unit. "That's our job. Just get in the game, have that mindset once you get in the game. You just have to get in the game with the right mindset, give it all you've got to win the game."

Carlisle said McConnell inspires "a lot of people" with his style of play, and Mathurin echoed the sentiment.

Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 26 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points but went to the free-throw line just six times after going 18 of 20 on foul shots in the first two games of the series. Chet Holmgren scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds but shot 0-for-6 from 3-point range.

Gilgeous-Alexander was 1-for-3 from the field in the fourth quarter.

"I thought we had some really good stretches, but we just made one too many mistakes," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "And had one too many possessions on both ends of the floor where they were more tied to their identity than we were. But obviously, those are costly plays."

The Thunder trailed 110-102 with three minutes to go, but Alex Caruso tried to keep the Pacers from a premature celebration with a steal and breakaway into the open court. Two steps into the paint, Aaron Nesmith closed and forcefully brought both arms down on Caruso to prevent the shot attempt and take him to the floor. Following a review, no flagrant foul was called.

Caruso made both free throws, and Indiana's Myles Turner subsequently lost the ball out of bounds. However, Turner, who missed eight of his first 10 shots, came up with two blocks of Holmgren on the same possession to keep the lead at six.

Carlisle said postgame Turner is "under the weather and might not be with us tomorrow," when asked to assess the center's up-and-down night.

Indiana got another stop, and Siakam lit up the arena for good with an easy basket that gave the Pacers a 112-104 lead with 69 seconds left.

McConnell was seemingly everywhere, coming up with massive defensive plays all game.

"We preach depth. We've talked about it all year," Haliburton said.

Haliburton added another Mathurin, "He was unbelievable, he just made big play after big play. When you have a team with this much depth, it can be anybody's night. ... He was a huge reason for our win tonight."

McConnell made a pair of free throws and pullup runner from the elbow on the final two Indiana possessions before halftime for a 64-60 Pacers lead at the break. He acknowledged feeding off the energy in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

"I mean, did you hear it in here?" McConnell said.

Thanks to 27 points from Mathurin and the kind of pyrotechnics the Pacers have grown to adore from reserve point guard McConnell, Indiana has the advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Tyrese Haliburton provided heroics with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds while Pascal Siakam added 21 points for the Pacers, who haven't lost back-to-back games since December.

Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 26 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points. Chet Holmgren compiled 20 points and 10 rebounds but shot 0-for-6 from 3-point range.

Game 4 is scheduled for Friday in Indianapolis.

The Thunder trailed 110-102 with three minutes to go, but Alex Caruso tried to keep the Pacers from a premature celebration with a steal and breakaway into the open court. Two steps into the paint, Aaron Nesmith closed and forcefully brought both arms down on Caruso to prevent the shot attempt and take him to the floor. Following a review, no flagrant foul was called.

Caruso made both free throws and Indiana's Myles Turner subsequently lost the ball out of bounds. However, Turner, who missed eight of his first 10 shots, came up with two blocks of Holmgren on the same possession to keep the lead at six.

Indiana got another stop, and Siakam lit up the stadium for good with an easy basket that gave the Pacers a 112-104 lead with 69 seconds left.

McConnell was seemingly everywhere, and he came up with massive defensive plays all game.

He ripped off Caruso's bullet inbounds pass with two hands at point-blank range under the basket and pumped in a layup to tie the game at 95 early in the fourth quarter.

Mathurin cashed a trey off a McConnell assist, putting the Pacers up 98-96.

Haliburton entered for the first time in the fourth quarter, took a handoff at the top of the key, stopped, squared and splashed his fourth 3-pointer of the game for a 101-98 lead with 6:42 remaining.

Indiana's Aaron Nembhard made a 12-foot jumper from the left elbow and the Pacers got it back after a missed 3-point attempt, taking a touchdown lead (107-100) on Obi Toppin's two-hand dunk off of a miss with 4:23 to go.

Nesmith caught a skip pass on the right wing and drained a trey on Indiana's next possession for an eight-point lead.

McConnell hit a running right-handed layup between two clutch buckets by Mathurin as the Pacers stayed close, down 93-91, with 10 minutes to play.

Oklahoma City had surged ahead for its biggest lead of the second half -- 89-84 -- to end of the third. Williams hit a long 3-pointer came after an and-1 baseline dunk by Holmgren, who moved through the swiping hands of McConnell to finish.

Williams played a lot of the game with the ball in his hands as the Pacers worked to keep Gilgeous-Alexander in check.

McConnell leads NBA reserves in assists per game in playoffs (4.1).

The Baloncesto Superior Nacional League also fined Cousins $4,250, and he could be subject to another fine of $5,570, according to the league.

The incident occurred Monday when Cousins was playing on the road for the Guaynabo Mets.

"As an organization, we strongly condemn any form of violence or provocation, whether on or off the field. Safety, respect, and sportsmanship are non-negotiable values for this franchise," the Mets said in a news release.

The situation began with Cousins exchanging words with a fan before he grabbed his crotch while walking toward the courtside seats. Cousins then grabbed the fan's arm as things quickly escalated.

Teammates attempted to pull Cousins away and other fans began to hurl insults at Cousins. After being ejected, Cousins was doused by liquids as he left the floor. Security tackled him at one point to hold him back from trying to get into the stands.

Cousins, 34, was averaging 18.2 points and 9.0 rebounds while playing in the top pro basketball league in Puerto Rico for the second time. He also played in the league in 2023.

Cousins hasn't played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season. He was a four-time All-Star in 11 seasons but his career was derailed by two major injuries.

In January 2018, he sustained an Achilles tendon injury with the New Orleans Pelicans. After returning to play 30 games for the Golden State Warriors the next season, he tore the ACL in his left knee in August 2019 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and missed the entire season.

Cousins played for seven NBA teams with the best part of his career being his 6 1/2 seasons with the Sacramento Kings from 2010-17. He finished third in Rookie of the Year balloting in 2011 after being the fifth overall pick out of Kentucky.

Overall, Cousins averaged 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 654 games (561 starts).