Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers overcame a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to shock the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-110 during Thursday’s Game 1 NBA Finals road clash. Afterward, the two-time All-Star provided insight into the secret behind his team’s latest comeback victory.
As has been a theme throughout the playoffs, Indiana didn’t fold after falling behind by double figures. Trailing 94-79 with 9:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle subbed in an entirely new lineup featuring four starters, with reserve Obi Toppin in star forward Pascal Siakam’s place. The change sparked a 15-4 run to cut his squad’s deficit to 98-94 midway through the final frame.
Indiana continued chipping away after that, with role players Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard hitting clutch 3-pointers. Siakam then converted a critical putback layup to put his team within one point (110-109) with 48.6 seconds to go.
However, it was Haliburton, who had a relatively quiet evening, who came through with a game-winning pull-up jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining. The cold-blooded bucket
marked the Pacers’ first lead of the contest, stunning the Paycom Center crowd.
Tyrese Haliburton on Key to Pacers’ Game 1 Win Over Thunder
Following Thursday’s last-second victory, Haliburton, who finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, attributed Indiana’s success to a “total team effort.” He referenced Carlisle’s “trust” in him in late-game situations and center Myles Turner’s “big-time” defensive stand to prevent OKC from getting off a buzzer-beating lob attempt.
When asked how the Pacers were “able to hang around long enough to steal” the game, the fifth-year player credited his squad’s experience and never-give-up mentality.
Tyrese Haliburton full postgame interview on the court, after the Pacers win game 1 vs. OKC in Oklahoma, off a game-winner by Haliburton. 2025 NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/2AyRELT3Eb
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) June 6, 2025
“We’ve just had to figure out how to win in so many different ways all year, the past two years,” Haliburton said. “There’s so many weird, different ways, and we just figure it out. We’re a resilient group, and I’m just really proud of this group. … We keep believing and we stay together, and it ain’t over till it’s over.”
Indiana had six players score in double figures, led by Siakam’s 19 points. Its collective output negated Thunder superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s game-best 38-point performance.
Pacers Make History With 15-Point Comeback Against Thunder
Per ESPN, Indiana’s 15-point fourth-quarter comeback matched the largest in a finals game since the Carlisle-led Dallas Mavericks did the same against the Miami Heat on June 2, 2011. Also, Game 1 was the Pacers’ fifth comeback victory from a deficit of 15 or more points in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the most by a team in a single postseason since 1998.
MORE: 2025 NBA Mock Draft Following Shocking Lottery Results
The fourth-seeded Pacers (50-32) are now just three wins away from their first NBA title, with Game 2 scheduled for Sunday in OKC.
