Haliburton's Buzzer-Beater Seals Pacers' Win Over Thunder

Haliburton’s Clutch Jumper Lifts Pacers to Stunning Game 1 Win Over Thunder

Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton sank a dramatic 21-foot jumper with just 0.3 seconds left to seal a stunning 111-110 comeback win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

The Pacers, trailing by 15 points with under 10 minutes remaining, mounted a furious 14-2 closing run to snatch victory and take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Haliburton, who finished with 14 points and 10 assists, gave Indiana its only lead of the night on the game-winning shot.

"I'm confident in my ability. If I get to my spot, I feel good about my shot," Haliburton said. "We’re a resilient group. We just kept chipping away."

Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 19 points, while Obi Toppin added 17 off the bench. Myles Turner had 15, with Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard scoring 14 each.

The victory marked Indiana’s fifth playoff win this season after trailing by 15 or more points — the most by any team since 1998.

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 38 points, but Oklahoma City couldn’t hold off Indiana’s relentless finish. "We’ve got to learn from it," said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. "They just kept coming."

Indiana overcame 24 turnovers and a double-digit deficit to notch one of their most dramatic wins of the season. Coach Rick Carlisle credited the team’s experience in close games and their belief in each other.

Game 2 will be played Sunday in Oklahoma City.