Backups bring down the house, Pacers take 2-1 Finals lead

INDIANAPOLIS — Backup 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.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.