NBA Starting 5: An unforgettable Game 1 in OKC
in the 4th, lightning struck in OKC — capped by more Haliburton magic.
June 6, 2025
Haliburton, Pacers pull off 5th 15+ point comeback this Playoffs
Indy’s identity ignites a 4th-quarter flurry to flip Game 1
The Kia NBA MVP dropped a game-high 38 points in the loss
Go behind-the-scenes of a thrilling Game 1 in Oklahoma City
Inside Allen Iverson’s Game 1 masterpiece in the 2001 NBA Finals
Two days until Game 2…
the Thunder and Pacers have an off day before returning to the court for practice and media on Saturday (1:30 ET, NBA App) as they prepare for Sunday’s Game 2 (8 ET, ABC).
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Same Pacers. Same Tyrese Haliburton.
of the 2025 NBA Finals for exactly 0.3 seconds. But it was the right 0.3 seconds.
After trailing by as many as 15 in the 4th and down nine with 2:52 to play, the Pacers closed the game on a 12-2 run, capped off by a familiar hero in Haliburton, whose pull-up jumper in the final second sealed Indiana’s epic win. Recap | Must-See Ending
– said Haliburton after improving to 6-of-6 shooting in the final 30 seconds of games in this year’s Playoffs.
the concept of ‘playing until the buzzer sounds’ more than the 2025 Indiana Pacers.
marked Indiana’s 5th 15+ point comeback of this Playoff run – the most in the play-by-play era.
the 2011 Mavs (Game 2) and 1992 Bulls (Game 6) for the largest 4th-quarter comeback in a Finals game since 1971.
coach Rick Carlisle was on the sidelines for the last two 15+ point Finals comebacks – leading the Mavs in 2011 and the Pacers in 2025. After Indy’s latest rally, coach Carlisle shared his message to his team in the 4th quarter.
in Game 1, it was the contributions from up and down the roster that kept Indiana within striking distance all night before handing the ball to their closer in the final seconds.
Nathaniel S. Butler + Ron Hoskins + Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
T.J. McConnell had nowhere to inbound the ball. The five-second count was ticking, and OKC’s defense was smothering – so he lofted a pass toward the top of the key.
of a striding Jalen Williams. Two dribbles later, he hammered it home on the other end. With 9:42 left, OKC was up 15 – and the Paycom Center was ready to burst.
for the Pacers, who entered the Finals averaging just 12.7 turnovers per game this postseason.
to go away. Despite finishing with a season-high 24 turnovers, Indy allowed just 11 points off the miscues – OKC’s fewest such points since March 29, against Indiana.
a new story was being written – one we’ve seen all Playoffs – fueled by Indy’s resilience from top to bottom.
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Since the NBA began tracking such data in 1971, teams were 0-182 in the Finals when trailing by 9+ points in the final three minutes.
made that record 1-182, every Indy player on the court contributed to the late-game rally.
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Just as he has all Playoffs, Haliburton played the hero. But it was another trademark of the Pacers’ Playoff run that ignited the improbable comeback — not a solo takeover, but a full-team surge.
fueled by stars, Indy is just the third team ever to reach the Finals posting 115+ ppg in the Playoffs without a single scorer averaging more than 22.
in a building where OKC had lost just once all postseason, that balance brought them back, stunning the basketball world – again.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander flexed his footwork to shed a defender, completing a tough finish at the rim.
he took a possession into his own hands, splitting the defense and attacking the paint to get a breezy bucket.
Kia NBA MVP was as advertised in his Finals debut. He capped his night with a game-high 38 points on 14-of-30 shooting from the field, complemented by three swipes and five boards.
– Allen Iverson (48) and George Mikan (42) – scored more in their first appearances on the league’s grandest stage.
As both teams headed to the locker room at halftime, the 7th-year guard had already tallied 19 points – good for 33% of OKC’s production.
layups and jumpers were only part of the scoring arsenal the three-time All-Star put on display for the Paycom Center crowd.
for the first time since the West Semis, Shai kept Thursday’s stunning loss in perspective as OKC looks to bounce back in Game 2.
The series isn’t first to one, it’s first to four. We have four more games to get, they have three. That’s just where we are.”
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since the Paycom Center last hosted a Finals game, the building pulsed with anticipation before the opening tip – but the show started long before fans filled their seats.
While Haliburton showcased his signature shoe, SGA made his entrance with signature style.
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
McCain wasn’t the only one soaking it in – the building was buzzing from the jump. And when SGA laid in the opening bucket, the Finals were officially underway.
– Haliburton’s final Game 1 assessment after his most recent game-winner
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Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers rolled their way into the 2001 Finals with a perfect 11-0 Playoff record, chasing history as the first team to sweep through an entire postseason.
continued early in Game 1 against the Sixers, as L.A. jumped out to a 21-9 lead.
in the 1st half to will the Sixers back and force OT, where he erased a five-point deficit with seven straight points, including a step-back jumper on Tyronn Lue – immortalized by his iconic step-over.
carrying the Sixers to a stunning 107-101 victory – the only loss the Lakers would suffer that postseason.
AI hits the clutch 3 to put Philly up for good in OT
described the win:
Dream come true … I’ve been waiting for this opportunity all my life. I’m not thinking about fatigue right now – fatigues are army clothes … We just kept fighting.”
Shaquille O’Neal – there’s no way. He’s the biggest man in the game … You’re not going to contain Kobe Bryant – he’s too talented … You can’t stop ‘em, because they’re going to keep playing, and that’s what my game’s about.”
and at the end, hopefully I can make that critical shot, or get that critical steal or rebound. Anything. Anything it takes to help my teammates. It’s not about points when you get this far in the season. It’s about just playing hard and playing as a team.”
On the eve of his 50th birthday, Iverson’s Game 1 masterpiece remains one of the greatest individual performances in Finals history – not just for the step-over, or the stat line, but for the heart behind it.
