Tyrese Haliburton led the Indiana Pacers to a dramatic victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 6, 2025, in Oklahoma City.
The Indiana Pacers trailed by 15 points but managed to overturn the deficit thanks to Haliburton’s last-second 21-foot jumper.
Haliburton’s game-winning shot came with just 0.3 seconds remaining on the clock. The Pacers secured a 111-110 win, marking their first lead of the entire game.
The victory follows a challenging start to the season where the Pacers had a 10-15 record. Haliburton had earlier faced criticism from some peers who labeled him as overrated.
Despite minimal playing time in the previous summer’s Olympics, Haliburton demonstrated resilience and clutch performance in the finals.
His performance in Game 1 has been pivotal in putting Indiana in a leading position in the series. The game-winning moment silenced the Thunder’s home crowd, highlighting Haliburton’s key role in the comeback victory.
Photo credit: Aljazeera.com