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Bennedict Mathurin's breakout fuels Pacers' reserves in win over Thunder in NBA Finals Game 3

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Original Story by The Sporting News
June 12, 2025
Bennedict Mathurin's breakout fuels Pacers' reserves in win over Thunder in NBA Finals Game 3

Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals will effectively be looked back upon as the 'Bennedict Mathurin Game.'

In just the 18th game of his playoff career, the Pacers' third-year reserve wing enjoyed a breakout performance, fueling his team's 116-107 victory to take a 2-1 series lead over the Thunder. Mathurin displayed his trademark efficiency, scoring 27 points in 22 minutes off the bench, leading all scorers despite playing in under a half's worth of action.

After missing Indiana's playoff run with an injury in 2024, Mathurin is working to make up for lost time. The 22-year-old's role has fluctuated throughout the postseason, but he's remained ready when his number is called upon, and Wednesday's showing is the third-highest output from a reserve in the NBA Finals.

What Mathurin achieved fueled a widespread effort for Indiana's second unit, which outplayed Oklahoma City's reserves in the crucial game. With the Pacers just two wins away from the first title in franchise history, Mathurin's contributions could end up being a turning point.

Here's more on Mathurin's breakout game and how it flipped the series through three games.

MORE THUNDER-PACERS GAME 3:

Bennedict Mathurin Game 3 stats vs. Thunder

Mathurin scored a game-high 27 points on 75.0 percent shooting from the field, adding four rebounds, an assist, and a block in 22 minutes of action. The performance sets a new postseason career-high for Mathurin, who entered the game averaging 10.3 points during the playoffs. 

  • 27 points
  • 4 rebounds
  • 1 assist
  • 1 block
  • 1 turnover
  • 9-12 (75.0%) FG
  • 2-3 (66.7%) 3FG
  • 7-8 (87.5%) FT

As the stat line shows, Mathurin did a bit of everything in Game 3. He got going early with his activity as a cutter and found ways to score off the bounce and the creation of others. Mathurin's 27 points off the bench were the most for a reserve in the NBA Finals since Jason Terry scored 27 in 2011. 

He scored his first seven points in three minutes of action and never looked back.

Pacers vs. Thunder Game 3 bench stats, highlights

While the Thunder aren't shy to flex their depth, it was the Pacers' depth that made the difference. Mathurin was the biggest standout, but T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin also made massive plays, especially during the fourth quarter.

  • Bennedict Mathurin: 27 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST
  • T.J. McConnell: 10 PTS, 5 AST, 5 STL
  • Obi Toppin: 8 PTS, 7 REB, 2 BLK

McConnell's signature inbound steal played a large role in an early fourth-quarter run, while Toppin had a major putback slam that extended a late-game lead to seven points.

Here's how the above performances contributed to overall bench statistics: 

Pacers vs. Thunder Game 3 bench stats
Stat Pacers Thunder
Points 49 18
Rebounds 14 10
Assists 7 6
Steals 7 3
Blocks 3 0
FG-FGA (%) 18-34 (52.9%) 6-13
3P-3PA (%) 2-9 (22.2%) 4-5 (80.0%)
FT-FTA (%) 11-12 (91.7%) 2-2 (100.0%)

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