Haliburton's Heroics Shock Thunder in Game 1 NBA Finals Stunner
Wow, if you missed Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, you missed an absolute thriller. Nearly everyone expected the Thunder—led by the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—to cruise through this series. And for most of the game, it really looked like they would. But the Pacers? They had other plans. They pulled off one of the most dramatic finishes you’ll ever see.
From the opening tip, the Thunder came out firing. They jumped to a quick 7-0 lead and led 57-45 at halftime. Shai was in MVP mode, pouring in 38 points and controlling the pace like a true leader. By the fourth quarter, OKC had built up a 15-point cushion. At that point, it felt like Game 1 was as good as in the bag for them.
But then came the twist.
Indiana’s resilience, which has defined their entire postseason run, kicked into high gear. We’ve seen it before—Milwaukee, Cleveland, New York—all teams the Pacers clawed back against with almost no time left. And on Thursday night, they added OKC to that list in the most dramatic fashion.
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With under a minute remaining, the Pacers had closed the gap to just one point—110 to 109. The clock ticked down. The crowd was on edge. And then, with only 0.3 seconds left on the clock, Tyrese Haliburton delivered again . Just like he did in the Eastern Conference Finals, he stepped up in the biggest moment. One smooth, clutch shot—and the Pacers were suddenly in the lead for the first time all game .
They led for 0.3 seconds. That’s it. But that was enough.
Final score: Pacers 111, Thunder 110. Haliburton called it after the game: “We’ve just had to figure out how to win in so many ways all year… we stay together.” And wow, did they ever.
This win marks Indiana’s fifth comeback from 15 or more points down in these playoffs—an NBA record. They’ve made it a habit, turning desperation into determination, and somehow finding ways to win.
Game 2 is coming up Sunday night in Oklahoma City. If Game 1 was any indication, we’re in for a wild series. The Thunder are going to be angry. The Pacers? They’re going to be confident. Buckle up—this Finals just got very, very real.
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