In one of the more stunning playoff victories, Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers rallied from a 7-point deficit with less than a minute to play to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-119 and take a commanding 2-0 series lead.
After two Donovan Mitchell free throws gave the Cavs a 119-112 lead with just 57.1 seconds left in the game, Pascal Siakam was fouled and went to the line. Siakam missed both free throws, and it seemed like the Pacers may have squandered their last opportunity. However, Aaron Nesmith was able to throw the second free throw back down with a dunk to cut the lead to 5.
On the next possession, Mitchell was called for an offensive foul. On the other end, Siakam was able to get to the hoop for a lay-up. After another Cavs turnover, Haliburton was fouled and hit the first free throw, cutting the lead to 2. Haliburton missed the second and got his own rebound and made perhaps his biggest play yet.
Haliburton Drills Game-Winner, Brings Up a Moment From the Past
After collecting that rebound, Haliburton dribbled back out beyond the arc and hit a step-back three to give the Pacers a 120-119 lead with just a second left, giving the Pacers the improbable victory.
After hitting the shot, Haliburton turned and made his way back down the court, hitting former Houston Rockets guard Sam Cassell’s signature “big balls” celebration.
TYRESE HALIBURTON HIT THE SAM CASSELL CELEBRATION AFTER HIS GAME WINNER
ICE COLD 🥶
pic.twitter.com/GTdr6RxmiE— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops)
Cassell is best known for being a member of the Rockets’ 1994 and 1995 championship teams. Although he started as primarily a backup to now TNT analyst Kenny Smith, Cassell earned a reputation as a clutch player, which led to his infamous celebration.
During the 1994 NBA finals, Cassell famously scored 7 points in the final 32 seconds of game 3 to lead the Rockets to a 93-89 victory over the New York Knicks in a series the Rockets would win in 7 games.
Cassell also played for the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics, where he won a third NBA title in 2008. He is currently an assistant coach in Boston.
Haliburton has elevated his play down the stretch in the 2025 postseason, and any comparisons to Cassell’s clutch play are clearly warranted. Haliburton’s use of Cassell’s celebration couldn’t have been more fitting.
Cassell’s Inspiration Came From Major League
Cassell originally got the idea from the movie ‘Major League’.
“I got that dance off the movie Major League,” Cassell explained. “When I saw Major League, I said I got to put that one in. And I did it. It was fine and dandy when I did it… and I kept doing it.
“The late commissioner David Stern got enough of it. He just told me one day I had to cut it out. He gave me a warning and I just stopped doing it. It wasn’t worth it you know, $25,000 doing that. But you know guys like Kobe Bryant, when Kobe did it, it was fine because he was a wealthy man so he could handle that.”
Haliburton can likely expect a fine himself come Wednesday.
Pacers Look To Put Cavs on Brink of Elimination Friday
Haliburton finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, while Nesmith and Myles Turner finished with a team-high 23 points. Bennedict Mathurin added 19.
Mitchell had 48 points to lead the Cavs, but his offensive explosion wasn’t enough to overcome the Pacers’ late-game heroics. Max Strus had 23 points and eight rebounds while big man Jarrett Allen added 22 points and 12 boards.
After stealing each of the first games on the road, the Pacers will take their 2-0 series to Indiana on Friday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST.
