By now, the whole world is well acquainted with the Indiana Pacers and their unbelievable come-from-behind act.
The Pacers rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to steal a 111-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. They trailed by nine with less than two minutes to play and were still down five with 1:27 left on the clock—yet somehow emerged victorious.
Tyrese Haliburton added to his already extensive highlight reel from these playoffs. He nailed a contested pull-up jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining to give Indiana the lead for the first and only time of the night.
No lead is safe from this Indiana team, and Oklahoma City—just like the rest of the Pacers’ victims from the earlier Eastern Conference playoff rounds—is now well aware. This marked the fourth time this postseason that Indiana has won a game despite having less than a 5% win probability in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City had dominated for most of the night, which made the Pacers’ rally all the more remarkable. Indiana simply doesn’t know how to quit—and this resilience has earned them a 1-0 series lead and now home-court advantage for the time being in these NBA Finals.
Haliburton’s game-winner was the defining play of the evening, but the win was a collective effort from the Pacers. Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while the trio of Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard, and Obi Toppin powered their fourth-quarter comeback with a combined 22 points in the final period.
Toppin finished with 17 points and five three-pointers to lead all bench scorers. Turner and Nembhard added 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Two other Pacers scored in double figures—Haliburton posted 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, while Aaron Nesmith chipped in 10 points and 12 boards. T.J. McConnell was vital too in the win, particularly in the first half where he scored all nine of his points before halftime to help keep Indiana afloat early on.
The Pacers survived a dominant effort from reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who dropped a game-high 38 points. He scored at will for most of the night, but missed two crucial shots in the final 82 seconds that could have sealed the win for the Thunder.
As cliché as it sounds, this series is far from over. However, the Pacers have already taken home-court advantage, making Game 2 at the Paycom Center all the more critical for Oklahoma City. If Indiana pulls off another road win, they will head home in full control of the series with a 2-0 lead and a chance to close out at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Regardless of how the Finals unfold though, these Pacers have already secured their place in NBA history with their flair for the dramatic. No lead is safe against this team, and through their grit, Indiana is now three wins away from an NBA championship.
