The atmosphere inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse before Game 3 of the NBA Finals was already a powder keg waiting to explode. The series was tied 1-1, and it had been 25 years since the city of Indianapolis last hosted a game this massive. The fans were desperate for a win. And then, ESPN’s Pat McAfee, the human lightning bolt and former Colts legend, grabbed a microphone and decided to pour gasoline all over the fire.

This wasn’t just some generic ‘Let’s go, Pacers!’ pep talk. This was McAfee in his element—pure, uncut energy and passion. He started by reminding everyone just how long the wait had been, his voice booming through Gainbridge Fieldhouse: “It’s been 9,126 days since the last time that this wonderful state has hosted the NBA Finals!” You could feel that number land. 9,126 days. 25 years. That’s a lifetime for some fans.

But then he shifted gears. With a smirk you could practically hear, he took on all the chatter about OKC’s home crowd, mocking the very idea that they were the loudest in the league. “I call it perfect timing because everybody’s talking about ‘the OKC fans are the loudest.’ The OKC fans have the best home court in the league,'” McAfee roared, dripping with sarcasm. It was a direct challenge, a ‘hold my beer’ moment.

He was calling out the entire narrative, and then he delivered the punchline, a promise to the world: “What the world is about to witness is the loudest building in the history of ball!” And to cap it all off, the legendary call to action: “Let’s turn this s— up!”

The place went absolutely nuclear. The fans, already a sea of ‘Yes ‘Cers’ yellow, just erupted. It was the perfect pre-game battle cry, a hometown hero calling on his city to defend its honor against the so-called “loudest” fans in the league. And you know what? The Pacers seemed to feed directly off that insane ‘us against the world’ energy.

Because after McAfee lit that fuse, the Pacers went out and played like their hair was on fire, especially in a dominant fourth quarter where they outscored the Thunder 32-18 to lock down a massive 116-107 victory and take a 2-1 series lead. Tyrese Haliburton was brilliant, finishing just shy of a triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds. Bennedict Mathurin was an absolute flamethrower off the bench with 27 points. And the defense? They made huge, game-saving plays down the stretch, like Myles Turner’s incredible double-block sequence on Chet Holmgren that had the whole building shaking.

It was a total team effort, a direct response to McAfee’s call to arms. They won the game, but while doing so, they also made a statement.

Can the Pacers’ wild style actually win a championship?

So, after that insane Game 3 win, the big question is real now: can these Pacers actually pull this off? Can they win two more games against a 68-win OKC juggernaut and be the last team standing? The answer is a definite maybe, because watching this Indiana team in the playoffs is like watching a horror movie — you think they’re dead, you think you’re safe, and then they just keep coming back to life.

This team’s biggest strength is also its most terrifying problem: they seem to thrive in chaos. They are the NBA’s ultimate comeback artists. They erased huge deficits against the Bucks, the top-seeded Cavs, and the Knicks all postseason. Then they did it again, snatching Game 1 of these Finals from OKC in the final second. It’s their identity. They make you feel like no lead is safe. That resilience, that ‘never say die’ attitude, is incredible, and it’s absolutely why they have a 2-1 lead right now. They just don’t quit. Ever.

But here’s the issue, the thing that might keep them from actually lifting that trophy: you can’t win a championship by constantly living on the edge of a knife. Relying on frantic, fourth-quarter comebacks is a dangerous way to live in the NBA Finals. They got blown out in Game 2 when their magic ran out for a night. Even in their amazing Game 3 win, they were trailing heading into the final quarter before their home crowd, and some late-game heroics bailed them out. Against a team as disciplined and talented as the Thunder, led by an MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, you can’t keep playing with fire like that and not expect to get burned, eventually.

That brings us to their other problem, if you can call it that: getting a full, aggressive 48 minutes from their main man, Tyrese Haliburton. There’s no question he’s a superstar, a passing genius who lives for the clutch. His game-winner in Game 1 was legendary, and he was brilliant in Game 3. But in their Game 2 loss, he was almost invisible for three quarters, scoring just five points before the game was out of reach. For the Pacers to win this series, they can’t afford for their engine to be idling for long stretches. Their supporting cast is fantastic. But to beat a team like OKC, your best player has to consistently be your best player, setting the tone from the opening tip, not just when the team is desperate in the fourth.

So, can they win two more games? Absolutely. The blueprint is there. They need to keep that wild, unpredictable energy that makes them so tough to play against. But they also have to find a way to control games earlier, so they don’t always have to be the comeback kids. If they can blend their chaotic magic with just a little more championship consistency, they might just pull this thing off. If not, this incredible horror movie of a playoff run might have a heartbreaking ending.