During Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder were tied or leading for 47 minutes and 59.7 seconds, however, with .3 left on the clock, Tyrese Haliburton made the deciding game-winning shot to give the Indiana Pacers a 111-110 victory.
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WHAT THE HALIBURTON AGAIN 😱
TYRESE WINS GAME 1 OF THE NBA FINALS FOR THE PACERS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TLv6OtQyWV
— ESPN (@espn) June 6, 2025
i can’t get over the fact that the final score was the pacers’ first lead of the game
just unbelievable stuff pic.twitter.com/eMiZTfRoBd
— Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) June 6, 2025
The crazy ending was mind-boggling to say the least, yet not everyone was surprised, as there was one fan in particular who actually predicted this exact outcome.
That is, a few minutes prior to tip-off, X user @buck4orlife posted: "111-110 pacers, hali game winner."
111-110 pacers. hali game winner
— b4l 🥭🥝 (@buck4orlife) June 6, 2025
To point out, this is the fourth time Haliburton made a game-tying or go-ahead shot in the final 5 seconds of a game in the 2025 playoffs.
Every shot from Tyrese Haliburton to tie or take the lead in the last 2 minutes this season pic.twitter.com/NS5PhfObi7
— Pitless (@pitlessball) June 6, 2025
And all of this comes shortly following the end of season survey among NBA players, where Hali was voted as the most 'overrated player' in the league.
Tyrese Haliburton being the most overrated player in the league being the worst take of all time (-10000000000000000000000000000) 🔒 pic.twitter.com/3L6olwjuOn
— br_betting (@br_betting) June 6, 2025
Maybe the greatest clutch playoff run we’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/v5Lc5DZr9v
— 🆁🆄🆂🆃🆈 (@PacersStatsMuse) June 6, 2025
This postseason the Pacers have been dubbed the "Comeback Kids" for their late-game heroic come-from-behind wins vs. each of their playoff opponents.
Trailing by 7 points with 33.3 seconds left (Game 5 Eastern Conference First Round)- 119-118 win vs. Bucks.
Trailing by 7 with 46.7 seconds left (Game 2 East Semifinals)- 120-119 win vs. Cavs.
Trailing by 9 with 52.5 seconds left (Game 1 Eastern Conference Finals)- 138-135 win vs. Knicks.
Trailing by 9 with 2:36 left in Thursday night's Game 1 Finals win vs. Thunder.
THE PACERS KEEP DOING IT pic.twitter.com/Nz5XFyeuYC
— buckets (@buckets) June 6, 2025
In view of their historic Game 1 performance, Indiana is now the first team since 1971 to win an NBA Finals game after trailing by 9+ points in the last three minutes.
Teams were 0-182 in the NBA Finals entering Thursday in this scenario 😮
Pacers are different. pic.twitter.com/6Hi4KALgxY
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 6, 2025
To note, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has accomplished a similar feat when he was with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Finals vs. the Miami Heat (Game 2 95-93 win- 6/2/2011), which means he has now coached two of the three teams since 1971, who came back from a 15+ lead in the NBA Finals.
The Pacers’ fourth quarter comeback tonight (15 points) was the biggest comeback in the NBA Finals since…
Game 2 of the 2011 NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/0imTjgps7Q
— Mavs Film Room 🐴🎥 (@MavsFilmRoom) June 6, 2025
(2011) Down by 15 with 6:23 left, the Mavs make a comeback in game 2 of the NBA Finals, capped off by a @swish41 game-winner. pic.twitter.com/Ox3GJ2xEVD
— Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) September 14, 2018
Considering 20 of 23 ESPN experts picked the Thunder to defeat the Pacers, Indiana is hoping to become the biggest underdog team to win the Finals since the 2011 Mavericks.
Haliburton: "No quote, unquote expert or analyst is going to pick us, and that's okay. We like it better that way. It's going to be a lot of fun."
20 out of 23 ESPN experts picked the Thunder to win pic.twitter.com/233ixFjGEd
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 5, 2025
Down 1-0, Oklahoma City will host Haliburton and the Pacers for Game 2 on Sunday, June 8 at 8:00 pm ET.
