The Indiana Pacers achieved a dramatic 116-107 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 on Wednesday, giving them a 2-1 advantage in the 2025 NBA Finals. Playing their first home game of the series, Indiana utilized dominant performances in the second and fourth quarters to clinch the back-and-forth contest. Bennedict Mathurin was a key contributor off the bench, leading all scorers with 27 points in just 22 minutes.
This sets the stage for what is expected to be a compelling Game 4, scheduled for Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Oklahoma City is making its first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2012, having secured their spot by defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games during the Western Conference Finals. Meanwhile, the Pacers have reached the Finals for the first time since 2000, overcoming the New York Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Thunder, who boasted a league-best 68 wins in the regular season and hold a 12-5 record in the playoffs, were considered significant favorites to win the championship entering the series. Star player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is aiming to become the first player since Stephen Curry in 2015 to win both the MVP award and an NBA title in the same season.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pacers have executed several remarkable comebacks throughout this postseason. This includes a surprising Game 1 victory that put the Knicks on their heels in the conference finals, a feat they essentially repeated in Game 1 against the Thunder in the Finals.
The field of playoff contenders has now been reduced from 20 teams to the final two. Teams eliminated earlier included the Kings, Mavericks, Bulls, and Hawks in the Play-In Tournament. The Grizzlies, Clippers, Lakers, Rockets, Heat, Bucks, Pistons, and Magic exited in the First Round. The Nuggets, Warriors, Cavaliers, and Celtics were eliminated in the Second Round, and the Timberwolves and Knicks bowed out in the Conference Finals, bringing us to the championship round.
2025 NBA Playoff Bracket
2025 NBA Finals Schedule (Pacers Lead Series 2-1)
Thursday, June 5: Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110
Sunday, June 8: Game 2: Thunder 123, Pacers 107
Wednesday, June 11: Game 3: Pacers 116, Thunder 107
Friday, June 13: Game 4: Pacers vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Monday, June 16: Game 5: Thunder vs. Pacers, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Thursday, June 19: *Game 6: Pacers vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Sunday, June 22: *Game 7: Thunder vs. Pacers, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
* If necessary
2025 NBA Playoffs: Conference Finals Schedule & Scores
All times Eastern
- Tuesday, May 20: Game 1: Thunder 114, Timberwolves 88
- Wednesday, May 21: Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 (OT)
- Thursday, May 22: Game 2: Thunder 118, Timberwolves 103
- Friday, May 23: Game 2: Pacers 114, Knicks 109
- Saturday, May 24: Game 3: Timberwolves 143, Thunder 101
- Sunday, May 25: Game 3: Knicks 106, Pacers 100
- Monday, May 26: Game 4: Thunder 128, Timberwolves 126
- Tuesday, May 27: Game 4: Pacers 130, Knicks 121 (Indiana leads 3-1)
- Wednesday, May 28: Game 5: Thunder 124, Timberwolves 94 (OKC wins 4-1)
- Thursday, May 29: Game 5: Knicks 111, Pacers 94 (Indiana leads 3-2)
- Saturday, May 31: Game 6: Pacers 125, Knicks 108 (Indiana wins 4-2)
2025 NBA Playoffs: Second-Round Schedule & Scores
All times Eastern
- Sunday, May 4: Game 1: Pacers 121, Cavaliers 112
- Monday, May 5: Game 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105 (OT)
- Game 1: Nuggets 121, Thunder 119
- Tuesday, May 6: Game 2: Pacers 120, Cavaliers 119
- Game 1: Warriors 99, Timberwolves 88
- Wednesday, May 7: Game 2: Knicks 91, Celtics 90
- Game 2: Thunder 149, Nuggets 106
- Thursday, May 8: Game 2: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 93
- Friday, May 9: Game 3: Cavaliers 126, Pacers 104
- Game 3: Nuggets 113, Thunder 104 (OT)
- Saturday, May 10: Game 3: Celtics 115, Knicks 93
- Game 3: Timberwolves 102, Warriors 97
- Sunday, May 11: Game 4: Thunder 92, Nuggets 87
- Game 4: Pacers 129, Cavaliers 109
- Monday, May 12: Game 4: Knicks 121, Celtics 113
- Game 4: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 110
- Tuesday, May 13: Game 5: Pacers 114, Cavaliers 105 (Indiana wins 4-1)
- Game 5: Thunder 112, Nuggets 105
- Wednesday, May 14: Game 5: Celtics 127, Knicks 102
- Game 5: Timberwolves 121, Warriors 110 (Minnesota wins 4-1)
- Thursday, May 15: Game 6: Nuggets 119, Thunder 107
- Friday, May 16: Game 6: Knicks 119, Celtics 81 (New York wins 4-2)
- Sunday, May 18: Game 7: Thunder 125, Nuggets 93 (OKC wins 4-3)
2025 NBA Playoffs: First-Round Scores
- Saturday, April 19: Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98
- Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 (OT)
- Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112
- Game 1: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95
- Sunday, April 20: Game 1: Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80
- Game 1: Celtics 103, Magic 86
- Game 1: Cavaliers 121, Heat 100
- Game 1: Warriors 95, Rockets 85
- Monday, April 21: Game 2: Pistons 100, Knicks 94
- Game 2: Clippers 105, Nuggets 102
- Tuesday, April 22: Game 2: Pacers 125, Bucks 115
- Game 2: Thunder 118, Grizzlies 99
- Game 2: Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85
- Wednesday, April 23: Game 2: Celtics 109, Magic 100
- Game 2: Cavaliers 121, Heat, 112
- Game 2: Rockets 109, Warriors 94
- Thursday, April 24: Game 3: Knicks 118, Pistons 116
- Game 3: Thunder 114, Grizzlies 108
- Game 3: Clippers 117, Nuggets 83
- Friday, April 25: Game 3: Magic 95, Celtics 93
- Game 3: Bucks 117, Pacers 101
- Game 3: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104
- Saturday, April 26: Game 3: Cavaliers 124, Heat 87
- Game 4: Thunder 117, Grizzlies 115 (Oklahoma City wins 4-0)
- Game 4: Nuggets 101, Clippers 99
- Game 3: Warriors 104, Rockets 93
- Sunday, April 27: Game 4: Knicks 94, Pistons 93
- Game 4: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 113
- Game 4: Celtics 107, Magic 98
- Game 4: Pacers 129, Bucks 103
- Monday, April 28: Game 4: Cavaliers 138, Heat 83 (Cleveland wins 4-0)
- Game 4: Warriors 109, Rockets 106
- Tuesday, April 29: Game 5: Pacers 119, Bucks 118 (Indiana wins 4-1)
- Game 5: Pistons 106, Knicks 103
- Game 5: Celtics 120, Magic 89 (Boston wins 4-1)
- Game 5: Nuggets 131, Clippers 115
- Wednesday, April 30: Game 5: Rockets 131, Warriors 116
- Game 5: Timberwolves 103, Lakers 96 (Minnesota wins 4-1)
- Thursday, May 1: Game 6: Knicks 116, Pistons 113 (New York wins 4-2)
- Game 6: Clippers 111, Nuggets 105 (Series tied, 3-3)
- Friday, May 2: Game 6: Rockets 115, Warriors 107
- Saturday, May 3: Game 7: Nuggets 120, Clippers 101 (Denver wins 4-3)
- Sunday, May 4: Game 7: Warriors 103, Rockets 89 (Golden State wins 4-3)
2025 NBA Play-In Tournament Schedule & Scores
All times Eastern
- Tuesday, April 15: Magic 120, Hawks 95
- Warriors 121, Grizzlies 116
- Wednesday, April 16: Heat 109, Bulls 90
- Mavericks 120, Kings 106
- Friday, April 18: Heat 123, Hawks 114 (OT)
- Grizzlies 120, Mavericks 106
2025 NBA Playoffs: Key Dates
- April 15-18: Play-In Tournament
- April 19: Playoffs begin (First Round)
- May 5-6 (or May 3-4): Second Round begins
- May 12: NBA Draft Lottery
- May 20-21: Conference Finals begin
- June 5: NBA Finals begin
Jasper Hawthorne