NBA Finals: Pacers record a comeback for the ages to secure a shocking 111-110 Game 1 win over Thunder

The Indiana Pacers registered a comeback for the ages to secure an incredible 111-110 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals at the Paycom Center on Friday, June 6 (Philippine Standard Time).

Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton stepped up when it mattered, just like he did against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals by making a dramatic 21-foot jump shot with 0.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give Indiana an incredible victory.

“We’ve just to figure out how to win in so many ways all year. We’re just a really resilient group, I’m just really proud of this group. We keep believing and we stay together. It ain’t over until it’s over,” Haliburton stated in an on-court interview.

“We got the stop and the coach trusts us in those moments to not call a timeout, trusts me in those moments, guys trust me and just trying to make a play. Basketball is fun, man, winning is fun. That’s a great win for us,” he added.

However, it was the Thunder who started the game living up to their tag of the favorites, taking a 7-0 lead and were up 57-45 up by half-time. Such was their dominance that they had a 15-point lead at one point in the fourth quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander displayed why he is the season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), leading the way in scoring with 38 points, to go with five rebounds, and three assists. He received strong support from Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams, and Alex Caruso, all of whom recorded double-digits in scoring.

1-0. pic.twitter.com/ulT1v2ttQB

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 6, 2025

Once again though the Pacers found a way to make a comeback in the playoffs, overcoming 24 turnovers, with their comeback the team’s fifth from 15 or more points down this postseason – which is an NBA record.

Pascal Siakam led the way for the Pacers with 19 points, while Obi Toppin, Myles Turner, and Andrew Nembhard added 17, 15, and 14 respectively. In addition to scoring 14 points, Haliburton also made 10 rebounds.

The two teams will look to recover from a hectic Game 1 and come back fresh when they face-off in Game 2 at the Paycom Center on Monday, June 9 (Philippine Standard Time).

Key Stats:

Most Points: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (38 in 40 minutes)

Most Assists: Jalen Williams, Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard (6 each)

Most Rebounds: Aaron Nesmith (12 in 31 minutes)

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