Tyrese Haliburton Stuns Thunder with Last-Second Shot as Pacers Rally from 15 Down to Win Game 1 of NBA Finals
Tyrese Haliburton hit a game-winning jumper with 0.3 seconds left, capping a 15-point comeback as the Indiana Pacers stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-110 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (WE) — The Indiana Pacers didn’t need a magic trick. They didn’t even have a timeout to set up their final play. What they had was a desperate belief in resilience — and just enough time left on the clock for Tyrese Haliburton to remind the basketball world that no lead is safe in these 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Down 15 points with 9:42 left in the fourth quarter, the Pacers clawed their way back, possession by possession, culminating in Haliburton’s dramatic game-winner with 0.3 seconds remaining. The shot silenced a raucous Oklahoma City crowd and delivered a shocking 111–110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
It wasn’t just a win. It was a statement.
“We just said, ‘Hey, let’s just keep chipping away at the rock,’” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. “Got to keep pounding the rock and just chip away and hang in.”
At the start of the fourth, that rock looked immovable. Oklahoma City’s superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was rolling. The Pacers were unraveling, committing turnovers and struggling to keep pace. The Thunder were up 94–79 with the crowd inside Paycom Center feeding off every made basket, every steal, every screen.
But in a postseason now dubbed “The Comeback Playoffs,” Indiana authored perhaps the most thrilling chapter yet.
The Final Run
From the moment Carlisle substituted five fresh players into the game — Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, and Myles Turner — the energy shifted.
Indiana outscored Oklahoma City 32–16 in the final 9:42. Turner and Nembhard combined for 16 points during the comeback. Nesmith hauled in four clutch rebounds. Toppin hit two massive three-pointers. And Haliburton? He hit the shot that mattered most — a cold-blooded jumper with just 0.3 seconds left.
“I’ve worked my entire life to get to this stage, so there’s no holding back,” Turner said postgame.
It was a flawless storm of execution. With under three minutes left, Gilgeous-Alexander pushed the Thunder’s lead to 108–99 with a pair of free throws. But the Pacers weren’t done. Nesmith and Nembhard drained back-to-back threes, slashing the lead to three. Then came the key defensive stop with 11 seconds left.
Carlisle didn’t call timeout. Instead, the Pacers played through the possession. With the clock ticking and the Thunder scrambling to hold their ground, Haliburton found space, rose up, and hit the dagger.
Just like that, Game 1 belonged to Indiana.
What Went Wrong for the Thunder?
In the final 9:42, the Thunder shot 4-for-16 from the field. Gilgeous-Alexander — who finished with 36 points — went 2-for-4 in that stretch. The rest of his teammates? A dreadful 2-for-12.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault pointed to a combination of errors.
“A little bit of everything,” Daigneault admitted. “They made some plays. On some of those plays they made some shots. They got a couple that you wish you’d get back. We had bonus fouls, which were costly. Then offensively we didn’t move the scoreboard as well as we could have.”
Even with a well-timed timeout at 7:47 — when Turner hit a three to cut the lead to eight — the Thunder couldn’t halt the Pacers’ momentum.
Reactions, Celebrations, and Focus
Haliburton didn’t taunt. He didn’t shout. He just celebrated with hugs — teammates on the court, his father John Haliburton off it in the hallway near the Pacers’ locker room.
The mood inside Indiana’s postgame huddle was reserved — no over-the-top celebrations, no champagne showers. Just quiet resolve.
“This is going to be a long journey and a lot going on,” Carlisle said. “So, we’re just going to have to keep our eye on the ball and keep focusing on one another.”
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NBA Finals: One Game, One Statement
For Haliburton, who has blossomed into a franchise cornerstone for Indiana after arriving in a trade from the Sacramento Kings, the moment validated everything.
“I don’t know what you say about it but I know that this group is a resilient group and we don’t give up until it’s 0.0 on the clock,” he said.
That 0.3 second shot gave the Pacers their first and only lead of the night — but it was the one that counted.
The Comeback Playoffs Continue
Indiana’s 15-point comeback in Game 1 was the 10th such rally in this postseason alone — and their fifth as a team. Since the NBA began tracking comebacks of 15+ points in 1997, no team has completed more in a single postseason. The previous record? Four, set by the Dallas Mavericks in 2003.
The Pacers have shattered that. Here’s a breakdown of those unforgettable rallies:
- Game 1, NBA Finals vs. Thunder: Down 15 with under 10 minutes left, Indiana stormed back to win 111–110.
- Game 1, East Finals vs. Knicks: Trailed by 17, down 14 with 2:40 left, tied it with a miracle Haliburton jumper, and won in OT, 138–135.
- Game 5, East Semifinals vs. Cavaliers: Down 19 early in the second quarter, the Pacers surged back and closed out the series 114–105.
- Game 2, East Semifinals vs. Cavaliers: Trailed 81–61 in the third. Down seven with under a minute left. Won 120–119 on a Haliburton buzzer-beater.
- Game 5, East Quarterfinals vs. Bucks: Down 20 early, Indiana completed the comeback with a Haliburton layup in the final seconds, winning 119–118.
The rest of the league? Five combined 15+ point comebacks.
- Game 3, East Finals: The New York Knicks erased a 20-point Indiana lead to win 106–100.
- Game 2, East Semifinals: The Knicks again overcame a 20-point Boston Celtics lead to escape 91–90.
- Game 1, East Semifinals: Another Knicks rally against Boston, down 20 in the third and winning in overtime 108–105.
- Game 3, West Quarterfinals: Oklahoma City erased a 29-point deficit against Memphis, the largest comeback of these playoffs.
- Game 1, West Quarterfinals: The Denver Nuggets overcame a 15-point Los Angeles Clippers lead to win 112–110.
These postseason comebacks are no fluke. They reflect an evolution in team mentalities, an emphasis on the three-point shot, and a belief that no deficit is insurmountable.
Why Indiana’s Game 1 Win Matters
This wasn’t just a stolen win on the road. It was a symbol of the Pacers’ identity under Carlisle and Haliburton. They don’t win games with brute force or by leaning on a singular star to go nuclear. Instead, they’ve relied on cohesion, depth, and unshakable resolve.
“We believe in each other,” said Nembhard, whose clutch scoring down the stretch was essential. “It doesn’t matter who’s out there. We trust the guy next to us.”
The Thunder now find themselves in an unexpected position. As the Western Conference’s most dynamic team all season, they were powered by 25-year-old MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. With home-court advantage and a commanding lead late in Game 1, the outlook seemed promising. But after a stunning collapse, they suddenly trail the series.
Game 2 will be back in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder must regroup. They’ve proven capable of comebacks themselves — notably that 29-point rally over Memphis — but they’ve never faced a playoff opponent quite like these Pacers.
Looking Ahead
For Indiana, the focus remains inward.
“We just keep our heads down and work,” Carlisle said. “No looking ahead, no getting caught up in the moment. Just one game at a time.”
Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals tips off Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. If Game 1 is any indication, buckle up — the Comeback Playoffs are far from over.
Whether it’s another Haliburton hero moment, a Thunder redemption arc, or something entirely unexpected, one thing is certain: This series just got serious.
Final Score: Indiana Pacers 111, Oklahoma City Thunder 110.
