Mark Daigneault understood what went wrong for the Oklahoma City Thunder in their 116-107 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Wednesday night.

The Thunder and Pacers exchanged blows throughout the first three quarters, but the fourth quarter proved to be the turning point. Indiana outscored their opponents 32-18 in the last 12 minutes, taking advantage of the momentum to secure the win at home.

Daigneault reflected on the loss after the game. He knew they had chances to take the game after leading in the third quarter. However, they made mistakes down the stretch that proved to be costly.

“They really outplayed us in the 4th. Give them credit. We got control of the game coming out of the 3rd. In the 4th, they outplayed us on both ends,” Daigneault said.

“We got off to a really good start, and then got off to a really good start in the 3rd. We really controlled the 1st and 3rd quarters and had a really hard time the 2nd and the 4th. So we'll watch it. It wasn't all bad, but we definitely have to play our style and impose our will for more than 48 minutes if we want to come on the road to win.”

What's next for Mark Daigneault, Thunder

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It's a tough loss for Mark Daigneault and the Thunder to sustain, now trailing 2-1 in the NBA Finals.

The franchise seeks their first title since 1979, when they used to be the Seattle Supersonics. However, this would be their first with the Oklahoma City fanbase, making this year's pursuit of the title important.

Oklahoma City has shown that they have the ability to rebound from their losses, having never lost two straight in this playoff run. It will be huge for them if they can bounce back in what could be a momentum-shifting game.

The Thunder will look to even up the series at two games apiece when they face the Pacers in Game 4. The contest will take place on June 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET.