The Indiana Pacers have done it again.
In Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Indiana Pacers staged another dramatic comeback. Trailing by 15 points in the fourth quarter, they rallied for a victory sealed by Tyrese Haliburton`s go-ahead jumper with just 0.3 seconds left. This shot marks the latest game-winning basket in a Finals game since Michael Jordan`s in Game 1 of the 1997 Finals.
Indiana secured the 111-110 victory on Thursday by getting a stop on the final possession, stunning the Thunder and taking a 1-0 series lead. Remarkably, the Pacers hadn`t led at any point until Haliburton`s decisive shot. This comeback was their fifth this postseason from a 15-point deficit, which is the most by any team in a single playoff run since 1998.
The 15-point rally ties the largest fourth-quarter comeback win in the Finals over the last 50 years. The coach for the previous instance before Thursday was also Rick Carlisle, the current Pacers coach.
Tyrese Haliburton now has five career shots to tie or take the lead in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime during the playoffs. This ties him with Reggie Miller for the second-most such shots recorded since at least 1997.
The Pacers` incredible comeback victory generated significant buzz across the sports world. Notable reactions came from Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Haliburton himself commented on the game afterward via social media, mentioning he wore his new Puma shoes for the first time that night.
