Tyrese Haliburton delivered a clutch, last-second shot to lead the Indiana Pacers to a dramatic 111–110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals. With just 0.3 seconds left on the clock, Haliburton’s jumper gave Indiana its first—and only—lead of the game.
The thrilling finish marked one of the latest game-winners in Finals history and immediately drew comparisons to iconic postseason moments. Indiana had trailed by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter, but a furious rally—capped by Haliburton’s heroics—turned the tide.
It was the fifth time this postseason that the Pacers have erased a deficit of 15 or more points, setting a new NBA playoff record for such comebacks in a single run. Despite a sloppy first half with 19 turnovers, Indiana stayed composed down the stretch. Key support came from Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin, and Andrew Nembhard, who helped swing momentum in the closing minutes.
On the other side, Oklahoma City looked in control for most of the night behind a 38-point performance from MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, the Thunder were unable to close it out late, echoing a pattern seen earlier in these playoffs.
The loss stings for OKC, but the series is far from over. The Thunder have shown resilience before, including a Game 1 loss to Denver earlier in the postseason. Game 2 is set for Sunday, June 8, in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder will look to even the series.
