The Indiana Pacers demonstrated their resilience once again.
Falling behind by 15 points in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Pacers staged an impressive comeback, securing the win with Tyrese Haliburton`s jumper that put them ahead with just 0.3 seconds left. According to research, this is the latest game-winning shot in a Finals game since Michael Jordan`s in Game 1 of the 1997 Finals.
Indiana successfully defended on the subsequent possession, clinching a 111-110 victory on Thursday. This shocked the Thunder and gave the Pacers a 1-0 lead in the Finals series. Indiana didn`t hold a lead until Haliburton`s clutch shot. This postseason, the Pacers have now overcome five separate 15-point deficits – the most by any team in a single postseason since 1998.
This 15-point fourth-quarter comeback matches the largest such rally to win a Finals game in the past 50 years. Notably, the head coach for the most recent instance before Thursday was also the current Pacers coach, Rick Carlisle.
Haliburton now has five career tying or go-ahead field goals in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime during the playoffs. This ties him with Reggie Miller for the second most such shots since at least 1997.
The Pacers` most recent playoff comeback garnered significant reactions from the sports world, including comments from Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes. Haliburton himself also took to social media after the game, referencing the debut of his new Puma shoes on Thursday night.
