Haliburton’s Heroics Lift Pacers in Wild NBA Finals Game 1
You’d expect the number one seed Thunder, playing on their home court, to own the opener. Instead, the script flipped in stunning fashion. With just 0.3 seconds left, Tyrese Haliburton silenced the roaring Oklahoma City crowd by sinking a deep three, lifting the Indiana Pacers to a 111-110 victory. It wasn’t just a surprise—the Pacers had trailed by 15 points in the fourth quarter and looked down for the count until everything turned on its head.
The Pacers seem to have made a habit of snatching road wins to kick off series; this marked their third straight Game 1 win on the road in these playoffs. Each time, they’ve bottled that momentum into 2-0 series leads. The Thunder came in as heavy favorites, largely because they handled Indiana twice during the regular season and flexed the league’s top defense all year. But none of that mattered in the final minutes on Thursday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who dominated the action through three quarters, looked untouchable most of the night. He seemed poised to hand the Thunder another easy playoff win. But Indiana hung around and then turned it up thanks to their bench. Myles Turner and Obi Toppin ripped off clutch threes when it mattered. Aaron Nesmith picked the right moment for a corner triple. Suddenly, the Thunder’s vaunted defense couldn’t get stops when it mattered most, especially against Indiana’s bench mob.
The fourth quarter was a blur. The Pacers almost looked like a different team, cleaning up their play after a first half loaded with sloppy turnovers. The Thunder, usually so composed, started rushing possessions. That opened the door for the Pacers, who unleashed a 14-0 run in the closing minutes. Haliburton was everywhere, dishing dimes or creating off the bounce. His final line: 27 points and 12 assists.
Pascal Siakam, fresh off being named Eastern Conference Finals MVP, chipped in steady play off the bench. The Pacers’ second unit outplayed OKC’s reserves and gave Indy the punch it needed to claw back. That support turned out to be the real difference between the teams down the stretch. You could feel the building tighten with every Pacers bucket in the last five minutes.
Oklahoma City’s challenge now? Forget the shock and rediscover their identity, fast. Historically, higher-seeded teams losing Game 1 at home bounce back—recent playoff numbers show those teams win Game 2 by an average of 12 points. The Thunder will need that kind of response when Game 2 tips off June 8. Anything less, and the Pacers' road magic might just have another encore.
Next Up: Thunder on the Brink in Game 2
The NBA Finals energy is already plain to see. Both benches should come out flying again, with OKC’s stars likely determined to erase memory of the late collapse. Indiana, meanwhile, knows it just rattled the best home team in the league—and with a strong locker room led by Haliburton and Siakam, the Pacers aren’t lacking belief heading into the next game. Stay tuned; this series just got very real.