The Indiana Pacers did it again! They pulled off a thrilling comeback to steal the first game of the NBA Finals on Thursday, beating the OKC Thunder 111-110. They now take the 1-0 lead in this championship round.
The Pacers trailed by 15 points in the last quarter, but took their first lead of the night with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock. That’s when Tyrese Haliburton stood up and hit a pull-up jumper, locking the buzzer and winning it for Indy.
Not only did he finish the game with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, but he also led the team to glory. And for that, the internet is abuzz, showing Haliburton all the love.
The Internet Is Mesmerized by Tyrese Haliburton After the Game Winner
In what looked like OKC would take this game away, SGA suddenly missed the opportunity to score. Indy was trailing 100-96 with just six minutes remaining. That’s when we saw the insane 3s coming in from a passionate team refusing to quit in these tough times. And with just 0.3 on the clock, Tyrese managed to pull all his energy and hit a deep two. The Pacers won, and the internet went abuzz congratulating Hali for his incredible win.
And it wasn’t just fans this time, it was the entire NBA fraternity congratulating him.
Starting with the Raptors’ star Immanuel Jaylen Quickley, who wrote, “……oh my goodness”.
Tristan Thompson jumped in, all taken aback by what he saw during clutch time. All he could say was: “Wow wow wow”. That was perhaps everyone’s reaction!
Tyrese Haliburton for the lead with .3 remaining.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/bsYPIHo4tH
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 6, 2025
PJ Washington stepped in as well, saying “Big time shot” for the insanity that Haliburton did on Thursday. And then, his name twin, Tyrese Maxey, also added, “wow”. Most people did not have words to pour in. They were so caught up in the fierceness of it all.
Keith Smith of Front Office Sports wrote, “Incredible win for Indiana. They can play a lot better. The Thunder can play a lot better. This is going to be a really fun series.”
An NBA fan couldn’t help but crown Haliburton a superstar! “A SUPERSTAR PLAY!!!!!! YALL PLEASE STOP LYING AND LISTENING TO BITTER KNICKS FANS. TYRESE IS A SUPERSTAR!!!!!!”
And then the official handle of ‘Let’s Talk Knicks’ podcast had a rather peculiar take on Hali’s insanity. They wrote, “Reggie Miller must’ve sold his soul to the devil for this playoff run to happen.”
Joy Taylor of the Speak on FS1 also said what went on in every fan’s mind. “Halliburton went nuts with that shot”.
Pacers’ energy and Haliburton’s precision won the game on Thursday. How else is a team supposed to overcome 16 fewer field goals and three fewer free throws than the opponent? Pacers came in and hit the OKC with 7 3s. They made 18 points in total, while the Thunder made 11.
MORE: 2025 NBA Mock Draft Following Shocking Lottery Results
Haliburton even made history with three go-ahead shots in the final 5 seconds remaining on the clock this postseason. That’s the most by any player in just one playoff run in the last quarter century. The home crowd went silent in disbelief. Indy now looks forward to Game 2.
