Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton made a game-winning midrange jumper against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday to secure a 111-110 victory and take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals. The Pacers led yet another late-game comeback and took their first lead of the game with just 0.3 seconds left in the final quarter.
Both squads put on a defensive clinic during the opening frame, but Indiana gave up eight turnovers in the first quarter alone. The Thunder capitalized on these extra opportunities and grabbed a 29-20 lead.
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The second quarter was just as problematic for the Pacers, as they gave the ball up 19 times in the first half. OKC didn’t dominate as they usually would however, shooting less than 40% from the field for the game.
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Despite a 12-point deficit, Indiana finally showed signs of life in the third quarter. They went on a number of scoring runs to trim the lead, but OKC’s defense kept the Pacers at bay.
The Thunder increased their lead to 15 early in the final quarter, but the Pacers stormed back into the game with a number of scoring runs and were down by one with 10 seconds left to play.
Rather than calling a timeout, Tyrese Haliburton dribbled down the court and sank a pull-up midrange jumper with 0.3 seconds left on the clock to give the Pacers the lead.
Haliburton finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds while Pascal Siakam had 19 points and ten rebounds. Five Pacers finished the game with 14 points or more.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a strong 38 points and five assists as OKC struggled to find an offensive rhythm all night.
The Pacers pulled off yet another spectacular comeback on Wednesday and will go into Sunday’s Game 2 with a 1-0 lead and a little more confidence.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
