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There was by no means a doubt in Tyrese Haliburton’s thoughts.
The Indiana Pacers star has achieved it too typically – particularly within the 2025 playoffs – to not have faith within the closing seconds.
Haliburton hit a 20-foot pull-up jumper within the closing second on Thursday because the Pacers accomplished a shocking comeback for a 111-110 win over the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder in Recreation 1 of the NBA Finals.
It was the 25-year-old’s fourth big-time shot within the closing seconds throughout this 12 months’s playoffs.
The Pacers hadn’t led in Thursday’s finals opener till Halliburton drained his newest clutch hoop with 0.3 seconds remaining.
“Final confidence in himself,” Indiana’s Myles Turner mentioned of Haliburton. “Some gamers will say they’ve it, however there are different gamers that present it … He desires to be the one to hit that shot. He doesn’t shrink back from that second.”
In Recreation 5 of the primary spherical of the playoffs, Haliburton reduce by the lane to hit a driving layup with 1.3 seconds left in additional time, giving the Pacers a win and ending the collection towards the Milwaukee Bucks.
In Recreation 2 of the second spherical, he hit a step-back 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining to place Indiana up one and put the Cleveland Cavaliers right into a 2-0 gap.
Then in Recreation 1 of the Japanese Convention finals, Haliburton hit one other step-back shot that seemed to be the game-winner initially however was modified to a two that pressured additional time towards the New York Knicks. Indiana finally gained.
The Thursday shot merely continued the sample.
Indiana trailed by as many as 15 factors within the fourth quarter, and although the Pacers reduce the deficit to 1 within the closing seconds, the Thunder had the ball in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s arms with an opportunity to place the Pacers away.
Nevertheless, Andrew Nembhard guarded the league’s Most Invaluable Participant (MVP) tenaciously, serving to to pressure a missed fadeaway from Gilgeous-Alexander that opened the door for Haliburton’s heroics.
With 11 seconds left, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle trusted his group and didn’t take a timeout.
Haliburton labored his approach down the courtroom towards Oklahoma Metropolis’s Cason Wallace, driving simply contained in the 3-point arc earlier than pulling up for a shot that briefly rattled across the rim earlier than dropping by.
“I had a reasonably good thought,” Haliburton mentioned when requested whether or not he knew the shot was good.
Indiana gained regardless of turning the ball over 25 instances in Recreation 1.
“It’s not the recipe to win,” Haliburton mentioned. “We will’t flip the ball over that a lot … (however) come Could and June, it doesn’t matter the way you get ’em, simply get ’em.”
The very best-of-seven collection resumes with Recreation 2 on Sunday in Oklahoma Metropolis.
Thunder to strive stage collection in Recreation 2
“The collection isn’t first to 1, it’s first to 4,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “So we’ve got 4 extra video games to get. They’ve three, and that’s simply the place we’re.”
Recreation 1 was a intestine punch for the Thunder, who led from the beginning and acquired 38 factors from Gilgeous-Alexander.
Oklahoma Metropolis managed simply 11 factors off the Pacers’ giveaways, together with simply 9 off Indiana’s 20 first-half turnovers.
The Pacers trailed by 15 early within the fourth quarter earlier than chipping away on the deficit. Nembhard and Myles Turner every scored eight factors within the interval.
Indiana reduce the deficit to 1 with 48.6 seconds remaining on Pascal Siakam’s putback following a missed 3-point try by Nembhard.
Siakam led the Pacers with 19 factors and added 10 rebounds. Obi Toppin had 17 factors off the bench, Turner scored 15 and Nembhard had 14. Haliburton completed with 14 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.
For Oklahoma Metropolis, Jalen Williams contributed 17 factors on 6-of-19 taking pictures whereas Chet Holmgren was simply 2 of 9 for six factors.
The Thunder led 94-79 with 9:42 remaining, however Indiana wasn’t about to go away.
The Pacers ripped off a 15-4 run to remain inside putting distance, after which they surged forward late.
Oklahoma Metropolis hit only one discipline purpose within the closing 4 minutes, giving the Pacers the opening to come back again.
“We performed like we had been attempting to maintain the lead as a substitute of attempting to increase it or be aggressive,” Williams mentioned.
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