Buoyed by a Game 3 triumph that saw them wrest control with a decisive 116-107 victory, catalyzed by superlative performances from Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell – their bench players eclipsing the Thunder's reserves by a staggering 49-18 margin – the Indiana Pacers nevertheless retain a measured composure despite leading the Oklahoma City Thunder 2-1 in the NBA Finals, cognizant of the protracted struggle ahead, as iterated by Tyrese Haliburton; notwithstanding Oklahoma City's initial ascendancy in both the first and third stanzas, Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle has exhorted his squad to cultivate a "killer edge" lest they relinquish their hard-won advantage, particularly given the precariousness of a potential 2-2 stalemate wherein the Thunder would subsequently benefit from home-court advantage in two of the remaining three contests, all whilst the Pacers navigate the uncertainty surrounding Myles Turner's health, the lynchpin center battling illness yet expected to participate in the pivotal Game 4.