The Indiana Pacers’ NBA Finals run has been nothing short of remarkable. After four breathtaking comebacks in as many series, this gritty group has become the best underdog story that the basketball world has seen in years.

This group has banked on its depth to make it this far, which is why in Indiana’s first home NBA Finals game in 25 years, it hardly came as a surprise that it was not even one of their starters who led them in scoring.

Third-year forward Bennedict Mathurin lit up the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Game 3 with a game-high 27 points on near-flawless shooting—going 9-of-12 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line—all in just 22 minutes of action. He played fewer minutes than five of his teammates, including fellow reserve Obi Toppin, yet no other player–even Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander–scored more than him on the night.

Mathurin has never lacked confidence and he backed it up in the biggest game of his career so far. Checking into the game at the beginning of the second quarter, he erupted for seven quick points in just three minutes to erase an eight-point deficit and give Indiana a one-point lead, forcing Oklahoma City to call timeout.

By the midway point of the second period, Mathurin had already scored 14. He and T.J. McConnell were the spark plugs off the bench for the Pacers, helping them take a 64-60 lead heading into halftime.

Later in the fourth quarter, with the game hanging in the balance, Mathurin hit another big shot—a step-in three over Gilgeous-Alexander to give the Pacers a two-point edge with eight minutes left.

That shot capped a historic night for Mathurin. He became the first bench player since Jason Terry in 2011 to score 25 points in an NBA Finals game.

It was also his fourth 20-point outing of the postseason, but this one came with added pressure and the brightest of lights. Mathurin joined elite company—becoming just the fifth player aged 22 or younger to score 25 in a Finals game, alongside Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Tony Parker, and Kobe Bryant.

Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals will go down as the finest performance of Ben Mathurin’s young career (so far)—and perhaps the turning point of these NBA Finals. Whether he has another moment like this in him remains to be seen, but if he does, the Pacers’ hopes of turning this underdog story into a championship tale will be closer to reality than it has ever been.