Tyrese Haliburton nailed a clutch jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining, capping a thrilling 111-110 comeback as the Pacers edged the Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. The dramatic finish and hard-earned road win drew a quick response from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who reacted on social media with just one word.
“Helly!?!?” said the Chiefs superstar quarterback in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Haliburton, who finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, gave Indiana its first and only lead on a clutch 21-foot jumper, capping a stunning turnaround after the Pacers trailed by 15 with 9:42 to play.
Even on a night when his offense wasn’t clicking, he once again delivered when it mattered most. He now owns four go-ahead buckets in the final five seconds of playoff games—trailing only LeBron James, who has seven.
Despite racking up 24 turnovers to Oklahoma City’s six, the Pacers found a way to hang around—staying close enough by their own measure to set up another postseason rally. And that’s exactly what unfolded.
Pascal Siakam paced Indiana with 19 points, while Obi Toppin came off the bench to contribute 17. Myles Turner added 15, and Andrew Nembhard chipped in 14.
The finish brought back echoes of Game 1 in the Eastern Conference Finals, when Tyrese Haliburton’s buzzer-beater took a high bounce and dropped in to force overtime, setting the tone as Indiana shocked New York and went on to take the series.
The Pacers are chasing their first NBA championship in 58 years, while the Thunder—champions in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics—have yet to win a title since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008.
Pacers roaring back against the Thunder in Game 1
Indiana clawed their way back despite a 38-point outing from Oklahoma City’s MVP and top scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. A 12-2 burst, highlighted by two triples each from Myles Turner and Obi Toppin, cut the gap to 98-94 with 6:16 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Thunder, owners of the league’s best regular-season record, held on as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander converted a driving layup and knocked down two free throws to push the lead to 106-98 with 3:24 to go.
Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard responded with consecutive threes, bringing Indiana within 108-105 at the 1:59 mark. After Gilgeous-Alexander answered with a layup, Nembhard hit two free throws and Pascal Siakam scored off an offensive board to cut the deficit to 110-109.
And the rest of Game 1 is history for Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers.
Oklahoma City fell short in its lone previous NBA Finals appearance in 2012 against Miami, while Indiana’s only trip to the Finals ended in a 2000 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals is set for Sunday, June 8, with the Pacers taking on the Thunder at 8 p.m. ET.
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