Tyrese Haliburton's supreme clutchness strikes again as Pacers shock Thunder in Game 1 thriller.
- Donald Hamilton
- 7 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images
It was a seismic shot that sent shockwaves throughout Paycom Center, as he has done many times this postseason. Five, to be exact. The unflappable Tyrese Haliburton received the ball near halfcourt against a stifling Thunder defense before burying a 21-foot jumper with 0.3 left that gave the Pacers their only lead of the game - the latest of any team since tracking began in 1971.
A jolting silence permeated Oklahoma City as the Indiana Pacers defeated the heavily favored Thunder 111-110 in Game 1. The Pacers were down by as many as 15 in the game and down 108-99 with 2:52 left after two Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made free throws. They didn't shrink.
Not even turnovers could halt the Pacers, who committed 25 turnovers in the game and 19 in the first half! The 19 first-half turnovers are the most in a first half in postseason history since the league’s digital play-by-play era began in 1997! The Pacers also are the first team this century to record 25+ turnovers and win a Finals game. All the rest are from the 1970s. It's improbable they somehow won.
Haliburton’s Clutchness, a sight to behold
Haliburton’s fearlessness in the clutch saved the Pacers once again in what has been an all-time display of clutchness in the postseason. Haliburton has had five go-ahead field goals to win the game. Since 1997, he’s one of three players in NBA history (Reggie Miller (5) and LeBron James (8)) to achieve such a feat, according to NBA TV.
"We've had to win in so many different ways all year," Haliburton said after the game. "We've had so many weird wins during the regular season, during the playoffs. So why would that change because we're here in the Finals."
Pascal Siakam grabbed an offensive rebound for the second chance opportunity that put the Pacers within one with 48 seconds to go. Rick Carlisle challenged an out-of-bounds call on Siakam as he hustled for the ball with Cason Wallace going for it as well, but it came up unsuccessful.
SGA, the league’s MVP, had quite the Finals debut with 38 points on 14-of-30 from the field. Andrew Nembhard, who played terrific defense all night on SGA, was able to force him into a tough fadeaway shot that, fortunately, was too strong. Aaron Nesmith corralled the defensive rebound that led to the Haliburton game-winner. What makes it more intriguing is that Carlisle audaciously decided not to call a timeout on the last play and allow the Pacers to do what they’ve done all season.
Push the pace.
“We've had lots of experience in these kinds of games,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.
It was the Pacers' fifth postseason game of erasing a 15+ point deficit to come back and win the game, per KGET—an NBA record.
The Thunder will have to make adjustments in Game 2, as the Pacers have now taken home-court advantage. Will the league’s most dominant, yet youngest, team allow this gut-wrenching ending to affect them psychologically? Or will they prove their resilience and respond in Game 2, as they have not lost consecutive games all postseason?
“We had control of the game for the most part," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Now, it's a 48-minute game. And they teach you that lesson more than anyone else in the league — the hard way.”
Game 2 will be at Oklahoma City Sunday night.
“Man, basketball's fun,” Haliburton said. “Winning is fun.”