TYRESE Haliburton drilled a 21-foot jumper with 0.3 seconds left to give Indiana its first and only lead of the night, enough to lift the Pacers to a stunning 111–110 victory over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals in Oklahoma City on Friday, June 6, 2025 (PH time).
“Man, basketball’s fun,” Haliburton said. “Winning is fun.”
Indiana turned the ball over 25 times, trailed by 15 points in the fourth quarter, and had no answer for NBA MVP and Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who poured in 38 points. But in a postseason defined by resilience, the Pacers once again found a way.
Entering tonight, teams were 0-182 when trailing by 9+ points in the final three minutes of an NBA Finals game since 1971. Pacers changed it to 1-182 yesterday.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 19 points, while Obi Toppin chipped in 17 off the bench. Myles Turner poured in 15, and Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard each finished with 14.
The Thunder, who entered the night 36–1 at home in games where they led by 15 or more, saw that streak shattered. Jalen Williams added 17 points and Lu Dort had 15 for Oklahoma City, which now faces unexpected pressure heading into Game 2.
Oklahoma City appeared to be in full control early in the fourth, building a 15-point lead with 9:42 remaining. That’s when Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle emptied his bench, searching for a spark. He found it.
The Pacers outscored the Thunder 15–4 over the next three and a half minutes, with a Turner three-pointer trimming the deficit to 98–94. From there, Indiana’s confidence swelled.
“We’ve had lots of experience in these kinds of games,” said Carlisle, who also coached the 2011 Dallas Mavericks team that erased a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter of Game 2 in the Finals against Miami. “This group has belief, and they never stop competing.”
For Haliburton, the latest clutch moment added to a growing playoff legend.
On April 29 against Milwaukee, Indiana trailed, 118-111, with 34.6 seconds left in overtime. Haliburton’s floater with 1.4 seconds left gave the Pacers a 119–118 win.
It was followed on May 6 against Cleveland with Indiana down 119–112 with 48 seconds remaining, Haliburton hit the winner with 1.1 seconds to play in a 120–119 comeback. Then on May 21, Indiana trailed New York by nine with 51 seconds to go. Haliburton forced overtime with a buzzer-beater, and the Pacers went on to win 138–135.
Now, Haliburton is doing it on the game’s biggest stage.
Before the start of the Finals, the Pacers are labeled as underdogs on paper while the Thunder are heavily-favored.
Game 2 is still in Oklahoma City on Monday. / RSC