Magic Johnson Celebrates ‘Unsung Heroes’ of Pacers Game 3 Win vs. Thunder

The Indiana Pacers are now just two wins away from lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time in franchise history.

On Wednesday night, the Pacers defended home court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, taking down the Oklahoma City Thunder, 116–107, to take a 2–1 lead in the NBA Finals.

Tyrese Haliburton was once again all over the floor for the Pacers, finishing the night with 22 points, 11 assists, and a rebound shy of completing his triple-double.

But beyond Haliburton, it was the Pacers bench that truly shined in Game 3. Bennedict Mathurin shot 75% from the floor and led all scorers with 27 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Alongside him, T.J. McConnell was an absolute spark for Indiana, putting up 10 points, five assists and five steals in 15 minutes and becoming the first player in the history of the NBA Finals to put up such a stat line off the bench.

NBA legend and Hall of Fame Twitter poster Magic Johnson offered his insight on the game, and highlighted the effort the Pacers bench put forth as making the difference in Game 3.

“The Indiana Pacers defense was amazing tonight forcing 17 turnovers which got them into their transition game. The Pacers were faster, quicker and more aggressive overall,” Johnson wrote in a post after the game. “They also had major contributions from their unsung heroes off the bench—Bennedict Mathurin scored 27 points, T.J. McConnell had 10 points and Obi Toppin finished with 8 points. The Pacers’ reserves outscored OKC’s reserves 45 to 18!”

Johnson also credited the Pacers’ decision to pick up NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with full-court pressure, writing that wearing him down was a big reason the Pacers were able to contain him in the fourth quarter.

Johnson had called out the Pacers after their less-than-stellar showing in Game 2 of the Finals, calling for Haliburton to be more assertive if the team was going to contend. On Wednesday night, Haliburton and the Pacers did just that, and seem to have made a believer out of Johnson in the process.