Tyrese Haliburton, once again, proved to be the game-changer for the Pacers!
Indiana trailed the Thunder for 47:59 minutes before Haliburton hit a pullup jump shot with 0.3 seconds to go as the Pacers defeated Oklahoma City in Game 1 of the NBA Finals 111-110 at Paycom Center on Thursday night.
Game 2 is Sunday night in Oklahoma City.
At points, it appeared that the Thunder was going to blow the Pacers out. Oklahoma City led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter and took a 57-45 lead at halftime.
The Thunder took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter (85-76) and had their largest lead of the game at 15 points in the fourth quarter.
After two Shai Gilgeous-Alexander free throws, the Thunder led 106-98 with 3:24 left in the fourth, but the Pacers would end the game on an 11-4 run to steal Game 1.
Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with a game-high 38 points. Jalen Williams added 17 points, and Lu Dort chipped in with 15.
For the Pacers, who had six players in double figures, including all five starters, Pascal Siakam led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Obi Toppin had 17 points off the bench, and Haliburton added 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.
Bottom Line:
The Pacers steal another game in the postseason. They didn’t play their best, and they struggled throughout, but you can never count out the Indiana Pacers.
The legend of Haliburton continues to grow. His ability to make big shots in these playoffs is truly remarkable. Whenever he has the ball with the clock winding down, you can’t help but feel excited, knowing that something extraordinary is about to happen. And indeed, something extraordinary always does.
In the first round of the playoffs, Indiana came back against the Bucks in Game 5, and they would win the game and the series after a Haliburton layup with 01.8 seconds to go.
The Pacers stole Game 2 against the Cavs in the second round after a Haliburton three late, and the Cavs never really recovered.
Indiana stole Game 1 against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals following a big shot by Haliburton that sent the game to overtime, where the Pacers took control. Just like the Cavs, the Knicks never really recovered.
Indiana stole Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and it should be interesting to see what happens next.
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