Welcome to the NBA Finals, Tyrese Haliburton.
The Indiana Pacers stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 Thursday, winning at the death 111-110 in a game they trailed for all but three-tenths of a second.
After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander failed to put the game to bed, the Pacers flew down the court and Haliburton took control. With 0.3 seconds remaining, Haliburton’s pull-up jumper hit all net.
Alex Caruso had a late inbounds throw for a last-gasp chance, but it deflected away from the rim.
Oklahoma City held several double-digit leads throughout the game, going as high as 15 at one point. Indiana brought it down to six in the closing seconds of the third quarter before Gilgeous-Alexander drilled a three to push it back to nine.
But just when Oklahoma City looked to be closing out a solid home opener in the fourth, Indiana turned on the jets with a late run and the Thunder unable to buy a bucket.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 38 points on 14 of 30 shooting. Jalen Williams added 17, but struggled with 6 of 19 shooting. Lu Dort brought strong two-way presence with 15 points on 5 of 10 scoring to go with four steals and two blocks, while Alex Caruso added 11 points off the bench and his usual defensive grit.
But the Pacers, when it mattered most, scored the key buckets, even without one dominant scorer. All five starters hit double figures, with Pascal Siakam’s 19 leading the way. Obi Toppin came off the bench for 17 points on 6 of 9 shooting, the second best point total on the team.
Haliburton had just 14 points on 6 of 13 shooting, but the one basket at the end made the difference. He also recorded 10 rebounds, six assists and a block.
Indiana has seen multiple key baskets from Haliburton throughout its run to the championship series. Haliburton delivered game winners against the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks, No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers and No. 3 New York Knicks.
With a game winner already off the checklist for the NBA Finals, what transpires next for both franchises seeking their first ever title will be highly intriguing.
Game 2 is set for Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.
Here are five things to know about Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
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