Pacers Shock Thunder in NBA Finals Game 1 as Haliburton Sinks Buzzer Beater in Electrifying Comeback

Haliburton Buzzer-Beater Caps Wild Pacers Rally in NBA Finals Opener

No one at Gainbridge Fieldhouse expected the Indiana Pacers to flip the script in the dying seconds of Game 1, but that's exactly what happened. Staring down a 15-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter, the Pacers defied the odds and stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder, 111-110. The moment that will be replayed again and again: Tyrese Haliburton dancing at the top of the key, draining a tough jumper with just 0.3 seconds left—the shot that not only gave Indiana the win but also set a new postseason record for go-ahead or game-winning buckets by a single player in one playoff run.

This wasn’t just any comeback. Indiana’s fifth double-digit rally of the playoffs ties them with the 2011 Mavericks and 1992 Bulls, teams that both went on memorable championship runs. You sensed something special from Haliburton all night. While the Thunder threw everything at him early, leading with suffocating defense and forcing a staggering 20 Pacer turnovers by halftime, Haliburton played his coolest when it counted most. That last shot was his fifth go-ahead or game-winner in these playoffs, breaking ground no one has covered before.

Thunder Let Massive Lead Slip as Indiana’s Poise Shines

The Thunder looked to have the game locked down for much of the night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played like a Finals MVP front-runner, pouring in 38 points and torching Indiana’s defenders from every angle. Oklahoma City's defense swarmed, trapping and stripping the Pacers into frustration. Yet, for all their first-half dominance, they failed to capitalize. Those 20 turnovers? Only nine points off them—a wasted opportunity in hindsight.

Pascal Siakam quietly kept Indiana afloat, putting up 19 points and 10 boards, muscling through the Thunder’s interior defense. Down the stretch, it was the Pacers making all the right moves. After coughing up the ball repeatedly in the opening half, Indiana completely shifted gears, turning the ball over just five times in the second half and shooting over 51%. Each basket chipped away at Oklahoma City’s lead. Haliburton and Siakam worked a two-man game, Myles Turner protected the paint, and Indiana’s defense ramped up to hold the Thunder to one bucket in the final minutes. With the clock ticking down, it seemed the Thunder would have the last word until Haliburton’s *strong* buzzer-beater silenced the entire crowd.

As the teams gear up for Game 2, all eyes are on how the Thunder respond to giving away a seemingly secure win. Gilgeous-Alexander was blunt after the game: ‘The series isn’t first to one; it’s first to four. We lost Game 1. We have to be better.’ The Pacers, though, have all the momentum—and history—on their side as they chase basketball’s biggest prize.