OKLAHOMA CITY — Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers continue to thrive in chaos — and this time, they pulled off their most improbable escape yet.
Haliburton drilled a 21-foot jumper with just 0.3 seconds remaining to give Indiana its first and only lead of the game, stunning the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-110 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
“Basketball’s fun. Winning is fun,” Haliburton said, grinning — and who could blame him? Indiana looked all but finished multiple times, trailing by 15 in the fourth quarter and committing 25 turnovers against a Thunder team that had been nearly unbeatable at home.
But with Haliburton at the helm, no game seems too far gone.
This was just the latest in a string of late-game heroics for the All-Star guard, who has delivered clutch performances throughout Indiana’s unlikely playoff run:
April 29 vs. Milwaukee: Indiana trailed by 7 with 35 seconds left in OT. Haliburton hit the game-winner with 1.4 seconds remaining.
May 6 vs. Cleveland: Down 7 in the final minute, Indiana came back to win. Haliburton nailed the decisive shot with 1.1 seconds to go.
May 21 vs. New York: Trailing by 9 with under a minute left, Haliburton forced OT with a buzzer-beater. Indiana pulled off the win.
Now, add the Finals to his growing resume of clutch shots.
“We’ve been in these situations a lot,” said Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. “It’s not new to us — and Tyrese keeps delivering.”
The Thunder, led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 38 points, seemed to be in control for most of the night. Oklahoma City held a double-digit lead deep into the fourth quarter and had been 36-1 at home when leading by 15 or more this season.
But when Carlisle pulled all five starters with just under 10 minutes left in the fourth, the momentum shifted. A refreshed Pacers lineup ripped off a 15-4 run, highlighted by a Myles Turner three-pointer that cut the deficit to four with 6:16 remaining.
From there, the Pacers chipped away — and stole the win in the closing seconds.
“We controlled most of the game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But they reminded us — again — that it’s a 48-minute fight.”
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 19 points, while Obi Toppin chipped in 17. Turner had 15, and Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard each chipped in 14.
For the Thunder, Jalen Williams scored 17 and Lu Dort added 15.
Carlisle, who famously guided Dallas to a 15-point comeback in Game 2 of the 2011 Finals against Miami, now finds himself at the center of another historic turnaround — this time with a team full of youth, grit, and belief.
Game 2 is set for Sunday night in Oklahoma City.
