Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers have pulled off some loopy comebacks throughout the 2025 playoffs, however their newest rally to win Sport 1 of the NBA Finals may need been their wildest but.
The chances had been in opposition to the Pacers successful this sport from the outset, however they appeared particularly lengthy when the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder pushed their result in as a lot as 17 within the fourth quarter. However then the Pacers did what they’ve completed all postseason — went on a magnet-ball shotmaking run.
Indiana outscored the Thunder the remainder of the best way, with Haliburton’s leaning, inconceivable game-winner swishing by the online with simply 0.3 seconds left, thus securing Indiana’s first lead of the whole sport:
In line with Josh Dubow of the Related Press, that implies that Indiana tried one thing that 121 groups had tried earlier than them within the NBA Finals… and had been the primary crew to ever full such a rally:
Pacers trailed by 9 with 2:52 to play. In play by play period (since begin of 1997 playoffs), groups had been 0-121 in NBA Finals when trailing by 7+ factors in remaining 3:00 of 4th quarter or OT earlier than tonight
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) June 6, 2025
Not solely does that imply the Pacers are actually an insane 5-3 this postseason after they go down by 15 or extra factors, however in keeping with NBA stats maven Keerthika Uthayakumar, it additionally implies that they’re now simply the fourth crew within the final almost three many years to win a playoff sport regardless of having the lead for lower than 30 seconds of sport time:
Since 1998, solely 4 groups have received a playoff sport regardless of main for 30 seconds or much less:
1999 Spurs in G2 of the West Finals – 10 sec
2001 Mavs in G5 of the First Spherical – 30 sec
2002 Lakers in G4 of the West Finals – 13 sec
2025 Pacers in G1 of the NBA Finals – 0.3 sec— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) June 6, 2025
The win additionally continued to solidify Haliburton’s near-bulletproof crunch-time repute, and it’s potential we’ve by no means seen a playoff run the place a participant was this clutch, with this stage of regularity:
Tyrese Haliburton is 6-for-7 (85.7%) when taking a shot to tie or take the lead within the remaining 90 seconds of the 4th or OT this playoffs.
That’s probably the most such photographs in a single postseason since 1997.
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) June 6, 2025
For context, meaning Tyrese Haliburton, within the highest stakes video games potential with defenses extra keyed in on him than ever, is capturing the next proportion than any participant who took greater than two whole photographs did from the sphere throughout the whole NBA common season.
It stays to be seen if the Pacers can pull off probably the most beautiful upset of all — successful the NBA Finals — however it’s secure to say they will by no means, ever be counted out once more till the ultimate buzzer sounds.
