Tyrese Haliburton hits clutch buzzer-beater, Indiana takes Game 1 of NBA Finals
Tyrese Haliburton (6’5″, 25 years old) is on a mission. Already the hero of several improbable game endings during these playoffs, the Indiana point guard did it again on the biggest stage Thursday night. His long-range shot with 0.3 seconds left gave the Pacers their only lead of the game… at the perfect moment. Result: a stunning comeback victory in Oklahoma City (110-111) that ideally launches the NBA Finals for Rick Carlisle’s men.
🤯🤯🤯 UNBELIEVABLE!!!! Tyrese Haliburton does it again and delivers the win with 0.3 seconds left! 1-0 Pacers over the Thunder!#NBAFinals #NBAExtra pic.twitter.com/aHAXMzMj9v
— NBAextra (@NBAextra) June 6, 2025
Haliburton clutch again, Indiana overcomes everything
Down by 15 points with just under ten minutes remaining, with an astronomical total of 25 turnovers in the game, the Pacers seemed doomed. Especially since the Thunder, led by an imperial Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (38 points), had perfectly controlled the game until then, driven by intense defense and an electric Paycom Center.
But as often in these playoffs, Indiana found the resources to come back. Rick Carlisle went all-in with a complete five-man change with 9:42 remaining. And this gamble paid off. Powered by improved outside shooting (47.6% from 3-point range) and renewed defense, the Pacers chipped away at their deficit. Turner, Toppin, Nesmith, Nembhard, Siakam: all stepped up in crunch time. And of course, Tyrese Haliburton, once again.
Having already made three improbable game-winners against Milwaukee, Cleveland and New York during this 2025 campaign, the former Iowa State player did it again with a mid-range shot that silenced the arena. With only three-tenths to play, OKC couldn’t attempt anything.
OKC dominated… but punished
The Thunder, who had won 36 of their 37 home games when leading by 15 points, thought they had this one. Mark Daigneault opted to start Cason Wallace and his players put enormous defensive pressure from the start. Indiana cracked early, particularly under turnover pressure (9 in the first quarter). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on a show, Lu Dort punished from 3-point range and Lu Williams was valuable in key moments.
But nothing seemed enough against the Pacers’ resilience. « They’re a team that keeps playing, regardless of the situation, » acknowledged the Thunder coach after the game. « They proved it again tonight. »
Rick Carlisle, who had already engineered a similar comeback in the 2011 Finals with Dallas, hasn’t lost his touch. And Indiana, accustomed to breathtaking game endings, takes the series lead before Game 2 scheduled for Sunday night (2am, French time).
GAME 1️⃣ – ✅
INDIANA PACERS // OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Full game recap, 5 minutes spoiler-free! 🎥#NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/F1Qr5r3Rm8
— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) June 6, 2025
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