Like they have for much of the season, the Indiana Pacers relied on various members of their team to earn the win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

In Wednesday's game at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, it was Bennedict Mathurin who stepped up for the Pacers in their 116–107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coming off the bench, Mathurin put up 27 points, four rebounds, and one assist in the Pacers' victory, marking the most points by a player coming off the bench in an NBA Finals game since former Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry scored 27 points in Game 6 of the 2011 NBA Finals, per SportsCenter.

Mathurin's 27 points were also his highest output this Finals and his best scoring performance overall this postseason. Additionally, his 27 points were the most ever by a player who saw 22 minutes or less of action in an NBA Finals game.

The Pacers' bench was crucial in the team's win, helping Indiana overcome an early first half deficit and battle for the victory in what was a close game.

T.J. McConnell also put in a standout performance coming off the bench, making NBA Finals history by scoring 10 points, five assists, and five steals off the bench.

"Those guys were tremendous," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. "T.J. just brought a competitive will to the game. Mathurin jumped in there and was immediately aggressive and got the ball in the basket. This is the kind of team we are. We need everybody."

The Pacers now take a 2-1 lead in the series, and are two games away from hoisting their first Larry O'Brien trophy. Game 4 of the NBA Finals takes place on Friday.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin Achieves Rare Feat in Game 3 Win Over Thunder.

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