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The Indiana Pacers trailed the Oklahoma City Thunder by 15 points in the fourth quarter of the opening NBA Finals showdown. So, in other words, they had them right where they wanted them. Tyrese Haliburton, who was fairly quiet from a scoring standpoint, once again swooped in at the eleventh hour and sunk a tremendously clutch basket to propel his team to a stunning 111-110 road victory.
The Paycom Center turned uncomfortably silent, while the basketball-watching world exploded on social media. Indy committed 19 turnovers but only trailed 12 at halftime, a strong indicator that it would have a chance to steal another W in hostile territory. Sure enough, Rick Carlisle's deep and endlessly resilient squad tightened up, made timely stops and knocked down shots during crunch time. Most of those who witnessed the heart-stopping finish are still trying to gather their bearings.
For the Pacers, though, this has become just another day in the franchise's most legendary postseason run ever. Thursday night's Game 1 thriller marked the fifth time that they have overcome a 15-point-plus deficit in the 2025 NBA playoffs, which is the highest total in the play-by-play era (since 1997), per Keerthika Uthayakumar. Indiana is 5-3 when facing such a disadvantage, a mind-boggling stat that perfectly encapsulates a mind-boggling spring.
The Eastern Conference champions did not take the lead until the final 0.3 seconds of the game, and yet, they kept their composure. The squad only had six turnovers in the second half, shot a sweltering 46.2 percent from 3-point range (18-of-39) and dominated the rebounding battle, 56-39. Haliburton scored a modest 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting but did grab 10 rebounds. His teammates helped put him in position to sink the game-winner.
The Pacers are no one-man show
Pascal Siakam totaled a team-high 19 points and also secured 10 rebounds. Aaron Nesmith recorded 12 boards and brought vital energy. Myles Turner was one rebound shy of a double-double and tallied three blocks. Obi Toppin made five 3-pointers off the bench. All of these men will get their due for the part they played in the magnificent comeback.
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But Andrew Nembhard must get his flowers, too. Although the 25-year-old guard shot a meager 36.4 percent from the field, he pushed the pace on offense and put forth a notable defensive effort.
Nembhard drained a huge step-back 3-pointer to cut the deficit to three with two minutes remaining and did enough to prevent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from stretching the lead in the waning seconds. The Pacers put together a complete effort and have snatched home-court advantage, once again.
This is the third consecutive series that Indy has won a road Game 1. Neither the Cleveland Cavaliers nor the New York Knicks were able to recover from their upset losses. Will the 68-win Thunder buck the trend? Gilgeous-Alexander is surely reminding everyone in the locker room that they were in the exact same spot in the Western Conference Semifinals, collapsing in the final minute versus the Denver Nuggets. They survived and ascended to another gear the following round.
A similar level of tenacity will be required if OKC hopes to redeem itself in the NBA Finals. That is certainly possible, many would even say likely, given this team's balance and defensive intensity. But the Pacers have withstood all counter punches to this point. If they can do it in the Finals, this gripping tale of intestinal fortitude will be immortalized in sports lore.
