NBA FINALS: THUNDER VS. PACERS

June 11, 2025

T.J. McConnell

Indiana Pacers

Game 3: Postgame

Indiana Pacers 116, Oklahoma City Thunder 107

Q. How good did this one feel to get Game 3 at home?

T.J. MCCONNELL: Yeah, just getting a win in general in the Playoffs and in the Finals, it’s really hard. So obviously happy about this one, but have to move on. Have to still correct some stuff and make some adjustments tomorrow.

Q. What’s the biggest positive you can take away from this game?

T.J. MCCONNELL: I think we looked more like ourselves, and we’ve got to continue to do that. I think we know the response OKC will have and we have to match it.

Q. How big was Bennedict for you guys tonight?

T.J. MCCONNELL: He’s awesome. He just continues to make big play after big play when he’s called upon, and he made big plays tonight.

Q. You talked about playing more like yourselves, but what was the difference maker if you could pinpoint one thing tonight?

T.J. MCCONNELL: I think our energy and our pace. We didn’t really do that in Game 2, and you’ve got to credit OKC for that. They came out and really took it to us and we didn’t respond. We know the response that they’ll have for Game 4, and like I said, we’ve got to clean stuff up and match it.

Q. How much did the crowd help your energy tonight?

T.J. MCCONNELL: Our crowd is amazing. Every game they have showed up and rallied us to wins, so credit to them. We love them.

Q. You got feet in the paint all night long. Some of that was screening, but was some of it just more intentional about getting feet in the paint?

T.J. MCCONNELL: Their defense is elite. So just trying to get to the paint as best as we can before they swarm and get all their steals, is what we need to do. But there is still stuff that we need to clean up, for sure.