Pacers' $29,936,173 X-factor refuses to celebrate despite decisive 27-point outing in Game 3
The Indiana Pacers took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals with a 116-107 win Wednesday in Game 3 against the OKC Thunder. Key bench pieces, including Canadian guard Bennedict Mathurin, stepped up in the win.
Mathurin had a game-high 27 points, sinking nine of his 12 shots, including 2-of-3 from deep and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. He finished with a plus-16 rating, the second highest in the game.
But the guard, who is in the third year of his four-year, $29.9 million rookie contract with the Pacers, refused to celebrate just yet despite his playoff career high. He had a stoic look as he was interviewed by Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter.
“As much as I want to live the moment, … I can't,” he said. "As much as I would love to (celebrate), I think that's going to take away from my aggressiveness on the court. But, you know, once the championship — when I have the trophy in my hands — then the job's finished.” (5:20 mark)
He said that mentality helps him channel his confidence into performance.
“I'm a very, very confident player, and I think I can be the best player every nigh” he said. “So if it's not the attitude or the energy that you have going into the game, then I think that's a little bit harder.” (2:11 mark)
Bennedict Mathurin leads Pacers’ bench in Game 3 win
The Pacers fired on all cylinders in Game 3. Tyrese Haliburton came close to a triple-double, racking up 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. Pascal Siakam contributed 21 points, while the bench duo of Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell provided a crucial spark.
Mathurin erupted for 27 points on near-flawless shooting, while McConnell recorded 10 points, five assists and five steals, a stat line never seen in NBA history.
In the same interview, Mathurin said the Pacers need to be resilient and set the pace in Game 4.
“I think the main thing is you have to be resilient,” he said. “You have to be the aggressor in order for you to be able to win the games. … We started the game a little bit slow, but we were able to find a rhythm and just finish the game."
Indiana will look to carry this momentum into Game 4, scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. ET.