Category: NBA

Anyone who is a fan of the Indiana Pacers or just a basketball enthusiast in general (minus those with a rooting interest in the Oklahoma City Thunder) has probably already watched Tyrese Haliburton's latest miracle shot from Thursday's Game 1 of the NBA Finals many, many times.

Get ready to watch it many, many more times.

The NBA has posted video to social media of Haliburton's game-winning jumper from South Korea's broadcast of the game on SPOTV, and the announcers' call of the magical moment is insane.

Read more:Pat McAfee identifies himself as the 'somebody' who 'embarrassed' John Mellencamp at Pacers-Knicks game

Simply put, they lose their minds.

Check it out. Don't worry if you don't speak the language — the unbridled enthusiasm coming from what sounds like a two-man broadcast booth requires no translation.

SOUND UP 🔊🔊🔊

The Korean SPO TV live call of Tyrese Haliburton's Game 1 winner is UNREAL 🔥 https://t.co/heI0ELIQlupic.twitter.com/bDs05zeEon

— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2025

Seriously, the only other person who has ever screamed in such a manner was the Who's Roger Daltry in the epic climax to the 1971 classic "Won't Get Fooled Again."

The NBA also posted a clip of the clutch shot from ABC/ESPN's coverage of the game. Play-by-play announcer Mike Breen captured the excitement of the moment as well, although with a slightly less epic delivery than his South Korean counterparts.

Read more:'Stupid idea'? Charles Barkley says 'Inside the NBA' hosts may have another show on TNT

The Pacers hadn't led the entire game and trailed the heavily favored Thunder by nine points after Oklahoma City star and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a pair of free throws with 2:52 remaining in the fourth quarter. But Indiana clawed back behind five points by Andrew Nembhard down the stretch to set up Haliburton's shot that lifted his team to a 111-110 win.

It was the fourth time during these playoffs that Haliburton hit a shot in the final two seconds of regulation to either win the game or send it into overtime.

“This group never gives up," Haliburton said after Game 1. “We never believe that the game is over until it hits zero, and that’s just the God’s honest truth. That’s just the confidence that we have as a group, and I think that’s a big reason why this is going on.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Draymond has blunt reaction to Knicks firing Thibs after playoff exit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors icon Draymond Green disapproves of how the Knicks fired coach Tom Thibodeau after New York was eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.

In Thursday’s edition of the “Draymond Green Show” podcast, the four-time NBA champion explained his distaste for the Knicks’ questionable decision.

“I think what just happened to Thibs is this – and you see it quite a bit in the NBA these days – due in part to the success that we had on that run with Cleveland and the dominance that was going on in the NBA at that time, all the conversations nowadays are just ‘Championship. Championship. Championship.’ And in turn, people try to ignore the process of getting to a championship,” Green said.

“That sh–t is hard, and it takes time, and time is different for many people. If you’re firing Thibs because you ultimately think, ‘He ain’t the guy to get us there,’ that’s one thing, but if you’re blaming him for not winning a championship with this team, that’s not the right thing to do – because that’s not a championship roster.”

New York gave Thibodeau the boot after five seasons and the franchise’s first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2000 — a 4-2 series loss to Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers. Indiana is now three games away from winning their first Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in franchise history.

Green is confident that Thibodeau, who finished his Knicks tenure with a 226-174 record, is being blamed by the front office for the roster simply not being good enough.

The Golden State forward understands organizations want to win now, but he believes Thibodeau steadily was climbing throughout his run in the Big Apple and that the Knicks’ decision was premature. 

“I don’t believe the New York Knicks, as currently constructed, can win a championship,” Green said. “I don’t give a damn how many players Thibs played all year, I don’t think that team can win a championship. I think what Tom Thibodeau did in getting that team to their first conference finals in 25 years, that’s steps in the right direction … that says, ‘Hey, front office, we may be, to get past this point, a guy or two away, in really making this thing go and really getting over that hump.’ 

“Me personally, I don’t think the ‘guy or two’ is some small guy, though. I think they need one of them ones.”

The Knicks probably are a key player or two away from taking the next step toward the franchise’s first NBA Finals win since 1973. However, that assumption does not lead Green to believe that Thibodeau is at fault or that he deserved to be dismissed from his position.

“I don’t agree that Thibs should’ve been fired based off this team not winning a championship, as if they were championship-or-bust and underachieved their payroll,” Green said. “But the eye test, coming from somebody (Green) who I believe knows what that looks like, nah.”

New York finished the 2024-25 NBA regular season with a 51-31 record, earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They finished just two wins shy of reaching the league’s biggest stage.

So, did Thibodeau deserve to be fired, or was he holding the Knicks back from achieving greater success?

Green certainly believes that the coach, who has been in the league since 1989-90, got the short end of the stick.

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The best and worst No. 3 picks in NBA draft history originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

If the Sixers keep the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft, they’ll hope to add to a long list of hits.

Ahead of the June 25 draft, we reviewed the history of the third pick and rounded up the many highlights and a few lowlights (no exact science).

In chronological order, here are the 16 best and four worst No. 3 selections in NBA history: 

Best 

He only played 26 NBA games, but we’ll give an honorable mention here to the multi-sport Dick Groat — eight-time All-Star shortstop, two-time World Series champion, 1960 National League MVP. 

Outside of ultra-clear cases, our list leans against current players. That’s the main reason Jaylen Brown, Bradley Beal and Evan Mobley aren’t on it. 

1954: Gene Shue 

Drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors, Shue became a five-time All-Star guard during his prime years with the Pistons. He went on to coach two Eastern Conference championship teams (the 1970-71 Bullets and 1976-77 Sixers) and won two Coach of the Year awards. 

1963: Nate Thurmond 

Thurmond averaged 18.6 points, 17.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.9 blocks from the 1964-65 through ’73-74 seasons. The Hall of Fame big man recorded the first quadruple-double in NBA history on Oct. 18, 1974 — 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks. 

1977: Pete Maravich 

After a legendary career at LSU, “Pistol Pete” brought his trademark flair to the NBA. He led the league in scoring with the New Orleans Jazz in the 1976-77 season, posting 31.1 points per game. 

1980: Kevin McHale 

McHale never left the team that drafted him and put together a Hall of Fame Celtics career — two Sixth Man of the Year awards, seven All-Star selections, three championships. 

1981: Buck Williams 

Williams remains the Nets’ all-time leader in games played, win shares and rebounds. The ultra-durable power forward averaged a double-double (12.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game) over his 17-year career. 

1982: Dominique Wilkins 

The Jazz drafted Wilkins but traded him to the Hawks months laterin exchange for John Drew, Freeman Williams and cash. Atlanta was quite pleased with the deal’s results; “The Human Highlight Film” turned into a nine-time All-Star and two-time dunk contest champion. 

1984: Michael Jordan 

The 1984 draft had three Hall of Famers in the first five picks — Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 1), Jordan and Charles Barkley (No. 5). The Sixers’ second pick of that draft, Leon Wood at No. 10, is a longtime NBA referee. 

1993: Penny Hardaway 

In Hardaway’s three Magic seasons with Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando went 167-79 and reached the franchise’s first NBA Finals. 

1994: Grant Hill 

Hill had a brilliant start to his career before facing a series of injury troubles. After being named co-Rookie of the Year with Jason Kidd, he was an All-NBA player for each of the next five seasons. 

1997: Chauncey Billups 

Billups didn’t make an All-Star Game until he was 29 years old and on his fifth team, but “Mr. Big Shot” became a Hall of Famer. 

2001: Paul Gasol 

Gasol transitioned very smoothly from Barcelona to the Grizzlies, earning the Rookie of the Year award. He won much more after being dealt to the Lakers, including back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. 

2003: Carmelo Anthony 

The incredible top of the 2003 draft featured three Hall of Famers (Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade) and one obvious future Hall of Famer (LeBron James) within the first five selections. The class had five other players who made an All-Star Game in Chris Kaman (No. 6), David West (No. 18), Josh Howard (No. 29), Mo Williams (No. 47) and Kyle Korver (No. 51). 

2009: James Harden 

Harden won Sixth Man of the Year in his third and final season with the Thunder. As a Rocket, he transformed into the ultimate offensive hub and the 2017-18 MVP. 

2014: Joel Embiid 

Injuries have always been a significant part of the picture with Embiid, but his on-court credentials are awfully impressive — seven All-Star nods, two scoring titles, one well-deserved MVP. 

2017: Jayson Tatum 

Tatum’s one of six All-Star players from the 2017 class. Of course, No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz is not among them. 

2018: Luka Doncic 

Doncic has more than lived up to the pre-draft hype. At 26 years old, he’s got career averages of 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists. 

Worst 

1986: Chris Washburn 

Washburn made a mere 72 appearances in the NBA. Following a third failed drug test, the former NC State big man was suspended by the league for life.

1987: Dennis Hopson 

Hopson was a big-time scorer at Ohio State — 29 points per game his senior year — but could not carry anything resembling that production to the NBA. He averaged 10.9 points in 334 career games. Notable 1987 lottery picks below Hopson include Scottie Pippen, Kenny Smith, Kevin Johnson, Horace Grant, Reggie Miller and Muggsy Bogues. 

2006: Adam Morrison 

Morrison was a college sensation at Gonzaga. He tore his ACL during his second NBA preseason and wound up playing just 83 more games in the league. 

2015: Jahlil Okafor 

The former Process Sixer played in one game for the Pacers this season, which was his first NBA appearance in nearly four years.

Why Draymond jokingly is grateful for Warriors' playoff exit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green wanted nothing more than to be competing deep into the NBA playoffs, but he disclosed one upside about the Warriors’ second-round exit.

While joining “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Green was asked about his notorious technical foul history and shared his growth — or attempted growth — in that department.

“I actually try not to [get a technical] now, which I’m embarrassed to say,” Green told Kimmel. “I went into the playoffs like, ‘I’m not getting any techs. I’m locked in.’ I had five in three games. You only get seven for the playoffs. Thank God we lost.”

The Warriors’ hard-fought battle against the Houston Rockets in the opening round, followed by a Western Conference semifinals meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves, resulted in five technical fouls for Green.

Per NBA postseason rules, two more technicals would have resulted in an automatic one-game suspension.

And had the Warriors kept the series against Minnesota alive and advanced to a best-of-seven conference finals matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Green isn’t confident with his chances that he wouldn’t reach that one-game suspension.

That doesn’t even include a would-be best-of-seven NBA Finals appearance.

But, again, baby steps, right?

Before the start of the 2024-25 regular season, Green predicted he would get fewer than 10 techs. He didn’t quite meet that goal, but he has reason for optimism.

“I had 13,” he said. “That’s a lot less than 17. Going the right way.”

Green was assessed 17 technical fouls during the 2023-24 season.

Growth.

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Draymond, Livingston note how 2024-25 Thunder compare to 2014-15 Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston noted similarities and differences between the current Oklahoma City Thunder team and the 2014-2015 Warriors – Golden State’s first title winner of the dynastic era – on Thursday night’s edition of the “Draymond Green Show” podcast.

Here’s what Green had to say in the podcast, which aired soon after Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winner gave the Indiana Pacers a 1-0 series lead over Oklahoma City in the 2025 NBA Finals.

“Where I think they’re similar is the age; young guys with a few vets, like [Isaiah] Hartenstein, but not Chet [Holmgren]; Shaun [Livingston], [Andre Iguodala], they weren’t our age, so we kind of had that balance – and [Andrew] Bogut, [David] Lee, they were (also) the older guys. 

“[Alex] Caruso has been there before, right? I think they’ve got a few vets like we had that kind of settles things down for them. And they got young guys, Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], [Jalen Williams] just kind of out there running wild doing their thing, relying on their talent, obviously thinking the game, but not to the level of the vets – because they’ve just seen more.”

The Thunder remind Green of the old Warriors because of their dynamics being based around seasoned veterans in their 30s and stars in their 20s.

Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Green formed Golden State’s headlining trio during its 2015 NBA Finals victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the support of valuable role players such as Livingston, Iguodala, Bogut and Lee, to name a few.

Oklahoma City has a similar situation around Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren, for example, with a strong supportive cast of players like Caruso and Hartenstein, who have been in the league for a while, each with high floors suitable for the playoffs.

“The vets see more, they help you more; they’re seeing these things develop,” Green added. “I think [the Thunder] are [similar] in that aspect. I’ve seen the playoff record, very similar. Offensive rating, I think we were number one, they’re like three. Defensive rating, we’re both number one. I saw those things … The end-of-season record, they [won] 68, we [won] 67. 

“I see all of that stuff, and I see a young team that’s gone through their lumps, and seems poised to take that final step. I can see those similarities, but the style of play couldn’t be further from the same.”

Livingston had a similar stance to Green. However, his perspective is from that of a player who was a Warriors veteran in 2014-15, unlike Green, who was an up-and-coming two-way star.

“It’s definitely similar. [Green] nailed all the points,” Livingston said about similarities between the Warriors and Thunder. “Listen, they were the best team by far this season – by far. And honestly, watching them too, they did not take games off; if they were supposed to beat a team they were a lot better than, they would beat the dog sh-t out of that team. The habits they were building, that’s what I watched.”

Livingston noticed how today’s Thunder and those past Warriors didn’t take games off. But he also pointed out how both teams, despite being a force every game, encountered uncharted territory as one of the last two teams standing.

“When I came to [the Warriors], I had come from playing with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams; these guys were kind of already cemented in their careers – former champions, veterans,” Livingston said about his Brooklyn Nets tenure. “They had a mindset about winning, where they expected to win. 

“When I came to Golden State, they had already tasted winning, and I felt like they wanted to win … but none of us had been to the finals, similar to OKC.”

Those Warriors won in their Finals debut; it’s still to be determined if the Thunder will do the same.

Green and Livingston, though, agreed that Oklahoma City is gaining great experience right now, regardless of the series outcome. 

The Thunder undoubtedly were the best team during the 2024-25 NBA season. But they had no way of preparing for the chaos the Pacers seem to embrace, despite entering the series with a variety of top-notch statistics and 18 more regular-season wins.

Oklahoma City needs to win four of its next six games to truly rival the old Golden State squad. Then, if things go well, three more trophies to match the Warriors’ dynasty.

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Draymond recalls hilarious KD-to-Warriors mix-up after Luka trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers stunned the entire NBA and sports world, but perhaps no one was as confused as Draymond Green.

However, Green’s bewilderment stemmed from a reason beyond the actual trade and more from a hypothetical one.

The Warriors star forward joined “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and hilariously recalled how his confusion unraveled thanks to a little premature information from Golden State majority owner Joe Lacob.

“When it first happened, we were at a Warriors charity poker tournament,” Green remembered. “I had just saw Joe Lacob 10 minutes before this happened. Joe gets excited. Joe goes, ‘Draymond, I think we’re going to get Kevin Durant. It’s right there at the finish line. It’s happening. We’re getting Kevin Durant back.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, man. Here we go. Let’s go.’ And we talk about it. He asks if I think it’ll work. I said absolutely. He leaves, he comes running back two minutes later like, ‘Draymond! Draymond! I wasn’t supposed to say anything. Don’t say nothing to nobody.’ I’m like, ‘Joe, I got you. I won’t say anything to anyone.’

“So we’re at this tournament and I go sit down and about 15 minutes later, Steph yells, ‘Draymond, you see the trade?’ And I go, ‘It happened?’ Steph goes, ‘Wait, who?’ I said, ‘Oh, never mind, nobody. What happened?’ And he’s like, ‘Luka got traded.’ “

Whew.

You can only imagine the emotional rollercoaster Green endured over those 20 minutes or so.

First, he had to fathom the thought that Durant was returning to the Bay, where he helped bring two championships, to then — like so many others — try and wrap his head around Dončić and LeBron James teaming up, to finally realizing that Durant was, in fact, not on his way to San Francisco.

What a whirlwind.

“I couldn’t believe it, I thought Shams was hacked,” Green said of the Dallas Mavericks trading Dončić. “There’s videos out at the charity event of us reacting. I couldn’t believe it. Superstars at 25 don’t get traded. Luka’s a megastar.

“Then I thought, ‘I have to be next if Luka’s getting traded. It’s coming for me soon.’ “

To be fair to Lacob, several reports indicated that Durant’s return to the Warriors was a possibility before the 15-time NBA All-Star turned down a reunion.

Maybe next time, Lacob will wait for the trade to be official before spilling any premature beans.

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Celtics draft fits: How Thomas Sorber could boost Boston's frontcourt originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics have begun a pivotal offseason for the franchise.

One position group that could see significant change is the frontcourt. Kristaps Porzingis is entering the final year of his contract. If the Celtics try to get under the second apron of the luxury tax, the star center could be a player who is moved to shed salary.

Veteran centers Al Horford and Luke Kornet have expiring contracts and will become unrestricted free agents in July. Both of them have been key players off the Celtics bench the last couple seasons.

If any of these players depart Boston in the offseason, how will the Celtics add some much-needed talent and depth in the frontcourt? Well, the 2025 NBA Draft could be the best place to find it.

The Celtics own the No. 28 overall pick in the first round and the second pick (No. 32 overall) in the second round.

One player who fits what the Celtics are looking for and could fall to them in the late first round is Georgetown center Thomas Sorber.

Learn more about Sorber and his fit with the C’s below:

Thomas Sorber’s bio

• Position: Forward/Center
• Height: 6-foot-10
• Weight: 255 pounds
• Birthdate: Dec. 25, 2005
• Birthplace: Trenton, New Jersey
• College: Georgetown

Thomas Sorber’s collegiate stats

• 2024-25: 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.0 blocks per game, 53.2 field goal percentage (24 games)

Thomas Sorber’s collegiate accolades

• All-Big East Third Team
• Big East All-Freshman team

Thomas Sorber’s highlights

Not in Sorber's house☝️☝️☝️#HoyaSaxa | @BIGEASTMBBpic.twitter.com/vAwrGnIsYR

— Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) November 23, 2024

Sorber🔨#HoyaSaxapic.twitter.com/8slYLle8iE

— Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) December 7, 2024

SORBER SLAM🗣️#HoyaSaxapic.twitter.com/ky3jmappmF

— Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) November 7, 2024

Sorber cleaning up the glass 🗣️ #HoyaSaxapic.twitter.com/W4CHgKYXGP

— Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) December 14, 2024

Why Thomas Sorber fits with Celtics

Sorber averaged 14.5 points per game last season. He has good touch around the rim and is effective on lobs off the pick-and-roll. He’s also able to beat slower players off the dribble and finish at the rim. Sorber isn’t much of a 3-point shooter, though. He shot 16.2 percent on 1.5 3-point attempts per game.

Sorber doesn’t have to shoot lights out from 3-point range to be a quality NBA player. But as NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics insider Chris Forsberg explains, it would definitely improve Sorber’s potential at the next level if he could become an average (or better) outside shooter.

“The Hoyas big man is coming off of foot surgery, but he was named to the Big East All-Freshman team,” Forsberg said. “His offensive game was close to the rim. The question is: Can he fully develop a 3-point shot? If he does, he has the potential to become more than just a defensive rotational player.”

Two areas where Sorber could help the Celtics immediately is rebounding and defense. He crashes the glass at both ends of the floor and is a real shot-blocking presence at the basket.

Sorber’s versatile skill set would make him worthy of the No. 28 pick.

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This is why you play the games, as the old adage goes. In recent years, the later rounds of the NBA playoffs – and the finals in particular – have felt rote. They’ve gone chalk. The drama was minimal, even under the brightest lights of the league’s biggest stage. This year has been different: a playoffs filled with suspense, tension and plot twists galore. But at the start of the finals, the scene was set for a regression to the intrigue-less mean. Every roundtable pundit, basketball expert, and barbershop patron outside of Indiana state lines had Oklahoma City – basketball’s best team from wire to wire – winning the series easily.

But Tyrese Haliburton, the instigator of several of this postseason’s most jaw-dropping twists, knows a thing or two about drama. It oozes out of his pores. And he and his Indiana Pacers had other plans.

Schedule

Best-of-seven-games series. All times US eastern time (EDT). 

Thu 5 Jun Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110

Sun 8 Jun Game 2: Pacers at Thunder, 8pm

Wed 11 Jun Game 3: Thunder at Pacers, 8.30pm

Fri 13 Jun Game 4: Thunder at Pacers, 8.30pm

Mon 16 Jun Game 5: Pacers at Thunder, 8.30pm*

Thu 19 Jun Game 6: Thunder at Pacers, 8.30pm*

Sun 22 Jun Game 7: Pacers at Thunder, 8pm*

*-if necessary

How to watch

In the US, all games will air on ABC. Streaming options include ABC.com or the ABC app (with a participating TV provider login), as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, fuboTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and Sling TV (via ESPN3 for ABC games). NBA League Pass offers replays, but live finals games are subject to blackout restrictions in the US.

In the UK, the games will be available on TNT Sports and Discovery+. As for streaming, NBA League Pass will provide live and on-demand access to all Finals games without blackout restrictions.

In Australia, the games will broadcast live on ESPN Australia. Kayo Sports and Foxtel Now will stream the games live, while NBA League Pass will offer live and on-demand access without blackout restrictions.

The Pacers did not lead for 47 minutes and 59.7 seconds of Game 1 on Thursday in Oklahoma City. On a night when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the regular-season MVP, scored 38 points and no Indiana player topped 19, it should have been a wrap. The Thunder’s suffocating defense, among the league’s best, forced a famously ball-conscious Indiana team – one that averages just 12 turnovers a game – into coughing it up 19 times in the first half alone. That’s hardly a recipe for success. Yet somehow, the Pacers came out victorious, against the odds, against the physics, against conventional basketball logic. Because that’s what they do. You can’t beat the Pacers by playing 47 minutes and 59.7 seconds of winning basketball. They demand all 48.

Related: NBA finals: Indiana Pacers stun Oklahoma City Thunder in final second to win Game 1 thriller

This was the fifth comeback victory of 15 or more points for the Pacers this postseason alone, the most by any NBA team in the play-by-play era. Haliburton has hit a game-winning shot in all four rounds of these playoffs, each feeling more improbable than the last: his Pacers have been underdogs in each of those series and never more so than they were when they entered the Paycom Center on Thursday. For all the talk heading into the series about how Indiana had never seen a defense like the Oklahoma City’s, we seem to have forgotten, as a general basketball viewing populace, about another key factor: Oklahoma City have never seen a team like Indiana in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter.

“They have a lot of belief,” Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daignault said, after his team’s dispiriting loss, of his ballsy Indiana opponent. “They never think they’re out of it. So they play with great belief, even when their backs are against the wall.” That belief – unwavering, unshakable – is Indiana’s secret sauce. And with every impossible comeback, it compounds on itself. The more they pull off, the less impossible it all feels.

After Thursday’s win, Haliburton reflected on where that belief started: last year’s humiliating sweep in the Eastern Conference finals. “After you have a run like last year but end up getting swept – and all the conversation is about how you didn’t belong there, how you lucked out, how it was a fluke – guys are gonna spend the summer pissed off,” he said. “Then you come into this year, and after an unsuccessful first couple of months, it’s easy for everybody to clown you. I think, as a group, we take everything personal.”

On the character of his team, which has left opposing crowds stunned at every turn this postseason, he sums it up simply: “We don’t give up until it’s zero on the clock.”

Haliburton says being the underdog, proving people wrong, has become part of the team’s identity. “It’s fun,” he says, to win when you’re not supposed to. And this win, like all of Indiana’s wins have been , was a true team effort – even if Haliburton’s flair for the dramatic grabs most of the headlines. It was a true win by committee, whether it was Aaron Nesmith muscling his way to a critical rebound on a bad ankle, Andrew Nembhard coming up with late-game heroics on both ends (including a huge stop on Gilgeous-Alexander), or Obi Toppin scoring 11 of his 17 points in the second half off the bench. All five Pacers starters scored in double figures – so did Toppin – but none cracked 20.

It’s probably not the platonic ideal for a basketball team to rely on procuring its biggest wins in such white-knuckle fashion, but the Pacers sure are good at it, and it makes for a hell of an entertainment product. And in the highly competitive and intense NBA postseason, where wins become harder and harder to come by, teams will take them however they can, messy and chaotic as they may be. After Thursday’s instant classic, Haliburton summed up the Indiana ethos succinctly: “Come May and June, it doesn’t matter how you get ‘em. Just get ‘em.”

Tyrese Haliburton scored in the final second as the Indiana Pacers snatched victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in game one of the NBA Finals.

His 21-foot shot put the Pacers in front for the first time in the match, with 0.3 seconds remaining as they secured a 111-110 win.

The Thunder, with home court advantage for the first two games, had led by 15 points during the fourth quarter, and in the closing seconds the ball was in the hands of NBA most valuable player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

However, he missed a two-point attempt with 12 seconds remaining and the Pacers grabbed the rebound, passed the ball to Haliburton and he drove down the court before hitting the winning points.

It's the fourth time in the 2025 play-offs that the 25-year-old has recorded a big-time score - three times to win a match and once to force overtime.

Indiana won despite turning the ball over 25 times, with 20 of those coming in the first half.

"It's not the recipe to win," Haliburton said.

"We can't turn the ball over that much. (But) come May and June, it doesn't matter how you get them, just get them."

Team-mate Myles Turner said of Haliburton: "Some players will say they have it, but there are other players that show it. He wants to be the one to hit that shot. He doesn't shy away from that moment."

Gilgeous-Alexander was the game's leading scorer with 38 points, while Pascal Siakam top scored for the Pacers with 19 points, followed by Obi Toppin with 17.

"We played like we were trying to keep the lead instead of trying to extend it or be aggressive," said the Thunder's Jalen Williams.

Game two of the best-of-seven series is also in Oklahoma and will start at 19:00 local time on Sunday, 8 June (01:00 BST on Monday).

Nearly every analyst coming into this year’s NBA finals had the Oklahoma City Thunder beating the Indiana Pacers comfortably. The first three quarters of Game 1 did very little to contradict those predictions until the final minutes, when all hell broke loose.

The reigning NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, looked like, well, the NBA MVP for much of the game as he led the scoring with 38 points. His Thunder team went out to an early 7-0 lead and were 57-45 up by half-time. The second half seemed to be going the same way with the Thunder 15 points up at one point in the fourth quarter.

Schedule

Best-of-seven-games series. All times US eastern time (EDT). 

Thu 5 Jun Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110

Sun 8 Jun Game 2: Pacers at Thunder, 8pm

Wed 11 Jun Game 3: Thunder at Pacers, 8.30pm

Fri 13 Jun Game 4: Thunder at Pacers, 8.30pm

Mon 16 Jun Game 5: Pacers at Thunder, 8.30pm*

Thu 19 Jun Game 6: Thunder at Pacers, 8.30pm*

Sun 22 Jun Game 7: Pacers at Thunder, 8pm*

*-if necessary

How to watch

In the US, all games will air on ABC. Streaming options include ABC.com or the ABC app (with a participating TV provider login), as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, fuboTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and Sling TV (via ESPN3 for ABC games). NBA League Pass offers replays, but live finals games are subject to blackout restrictions in the US.

In the UK, the games will be available on TNT Sports and Discovery+. As for streaming, NBA League Pass will provide live and on-demand access to all Finals games without blackout restrictions.

In Australia, the games will broadcast live on ESPN Australia. Kayo Sports and Foxtel Now will stream the games live, while NBA League Pass will offer live and on-demand access without blackout restrictions.

And then the Pacers, as they so often have in these playoffs, started to fight back. With a minute remaining they had made it a one-point game at 110-109. With a second to go it was still 110-109 and Tyrese Haliburton had a chance to steal the game for the Pacers in outrageous fashion. Just as he had against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, he did not miss when it mattered. His basket put the Pacers up 111-110 and won them the game. Remarkably, the Pacers led for just 0.3 seconds – the blink between Haliburton’s shot and the buzzer.

Haliburton’s shot was the latest game-winner in an NBA finals contest since Michael Jordan’s buzzer-beater to sink the Utah Jazz in 1997, also in Game 1.

“We’ve just had to figure out how to win in so many ways all year,” said Haliburton. “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 ‘til it’s over.”

Once again, Indiana had found a way back in these playoffs. On 29 April, they trailed Milwaukee 118-111 with 34.6 seconds left in overtime and won 119-118. On 6 May, the Pacers trailed Cleveland 119-112 with 48 seconds left and won 120-119. On 21 May, they trailed New York 121-112 with 51.1 seconds left in regulation and won 138-135 in overtime. Thursday’s comeback was the Pacers’ fifth from 15 or more points down this postseason, an NBA record.

“That’s a really good team,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “Credit them for not only tonight but their run. They’ve had so many games like that that have seemed improbable. And they just play with a great spirit and they keep coming. They keep playing.”

The Pacers had staged the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in a finals game since Dallas came from 15 down to beat Miami in 2011. The coach of those Mavericks: Rick Carlisle. The coach of these Pacers: Rick Carlisle. His decisions on Thursday certainly helped. When the Pacers were 15 points down early in the fourth, Carlisle called time and subbed out all five players, seeking a spark. It worked. The Pacers outscored the Thunder 15-4 over the next 3:26 to make it 98-94 with a little over six minutes remaining. It was a foundation that would help them stage their remarkable comeback.

Haliburton’s last-gasp heroics spoiled a brilliant outing by Gilgeous-Alexander, whose 38 points were the third-most in an NBA finals debut behind only Allen Iverson (48 in 2001) and George Mikan (42 in 1949).

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is on Sunday night in Oklahoma City. Both teams may just about have recovered by then.

“Man, basketball’s fun,” Haliburton said, reflecting on the end of the game.

It was hard to disagree.