Haliburton’s ⁤Buzzer-Beater Steals Game 1 for ⁢Pacers Against Thunder

⁢ ⁢ Updated June 06,2025
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Tyrese Haliburton’s dramatic 21-foot jumper at the buzzer propelled ‍the Indiana Pacers ⁣to a thrilling 111-110 victory over the⁤ Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Pacers’ clutch performance, stealing the win with just 0.3 seconds remaining, marked their first lead of the entire ⁤contest.

The Thunder, who maintained home-court advantage, saw a 15-point lead evaporate in the⁤ fourth quarter. Shai ⁣Gilgeous-Alexander, ⁤the ⁤NBA’s most valuable player, missed a crucial two-point shot with 12 seconds on the‍ clock. The Pacers rebounded, ⁣setting the stage for Haliburton’s game-winning heroics.

This marks the fourth time⁣ in the 2025 playoffs⁣ that Haliburton, 25, has delivered a ‍ critical score—three times to secure a win and once⁣ to force overtime.

Despite committing ‍25 ⁢turnovers,⁢ including 20 in the first half, Indiana managed to secure‍ the victory.

“it’s not the recipe⁢ to win,” ⁤Haliburton said. “We can’t turn the ball over that⁤ much. (but) come May and June, it doesn’t matter how you get them, just get them.”

Myles Turner ⁤praised Haliburton’s resolve: “Some players will say they have it, but there are other players that show it. He wants to be the⁤ one to hit that shot. He doesn’t ⁤shy away from ⁣that moment.”

Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 38 points. Pascal Siakam scored 19 points for Indiana, ⁢followed by Obi ⁣Toppin with 17.

“We played like we where trying to keep the lead instead of⁤ trying to extend it or be aggressive,” said‍ the Thunder’s Jalen Williams.

What’s next

Game⁢ 2 of this best-of-seven series remains in Oklahoma ⁣City, scheduled for Sunday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m.⁢ local time (Monday, June 9, 1:00 a.m. BST).