Tyrese Haliburton delivered a dramatic game-winning jumper with 0.3 seconds left to cap off a stunning Indiana Pacers comeback and seal a 111-110 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday night.
Haliburton’s clutch 21-foot shot marked the Pacers’ only lead of the night, yet it was the one that mattered most. Indiana trailed by 15 points with under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before storming back with a decisive 14-2 run to snatch victory in the final seconds.
The victory gives the Pacers a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 2 set for Sunday in Oklahoma City. The moment echoed Haliburton’s buzzer-beating heroics from the Eastern Conference Finals opener against New York, where his last-second shot forced overtime and shifted momentum in Indiana's favor.
This time, the All-Star guard finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and the defining shot of the game following a defensive rebound by Aaron Nesmith that set up the final possession.
Pacers Rally Late to Shock Thunder
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 19 points, while Obi Toppin added 17 off the bench. Myles Turner contributed 15, with both Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard scoring 14 apiece.
The Thunder looked in control for most of the game thanks to 38-point performance from MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Oklahoma City, led by nine points entering the fourth quarter and extended their advantage to 94-79 after a Jalen Williams dunk with 9:42 left.
But Indiana responded with a flurry of three-pointers two each from Turner and Toppin during a 12-2 run that cut the deficit to 98-94. Still, the Thunder led 106-98 with 3:24 remaining after another Gilgeous-Alexander burst.
Indiana finally began their late puch with Nembhard and Nesmith drilling back-to-back threes to make it 108-105. Siakam followed up a Nembhard free throw pair by scoring off a rebound, trimming the gap to 110-109 with under 30 seconds to go.
After a defensive stand, Nesmith corralled a crucial miss by Gilgeous-Alexander, giving Indiana one final shot and Haliburton made it count.
