Series Status: (4) Indiana Pacers lead (1) Oklahoma City Thunder 1-0
Game 1 Score: Pacers 111, Thunder 110
For the initial 47 minutes and 40 seconds of Game 1 in the NBA Finals, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander largely outplayed Tyrese Haliburton in their point guard battle. However, just as Pacers coach Rick Carlisle noted after their remarkable comeback against the Knicks, basketball is a full 48-minute game. In the final 20 seconds on Thursday night, Haliburton and the Pacers rewrote the script once again.
First, Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 38 points but shot 14-for-30, missed a clean look at a midrange jumper – his signature shot – that would have put the Thunder up by three with 10 seconds remaining. Then, Haliburton resumed his role as the road spoiler, sinking a dramatic shot. While perhaps not as visually spectacular as his improbable high-arcing bank shot in New York on May 21st, this shot was different: it won the game for Indiana outright before overtime.
As a result, the Indiana Pacers, who remarkably never held a lead until Haliburton`s game-winning shot from just inside the 3-point line dropped with only 0.3 seconds left, somehow escaped the Paycom Center with a 111-110 victory over the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder, injecting significant excitement into this series.
For extended periods in Game 1, the Thunder controlled the tempo. They managed to force the Pacers, typically careful with the ball, into committing a staggering 24 turnovers, while Oklahoma City had only six. Although the Thunder took 16 more shots, the Pacers connected on 18 three-pointers, including a crucial 6-for-10 performance in the fourth quarter. The Thunder, conversely, struggled from beyond the arc, making only 11 of 30 attempts. This difference allowed Indiana – a team known for pulling off improbable comebacks throughout these playoffs – to position themselves for yet another late rally.
And, as he has done so many times this postseason, Tyrese Haliburton delivered the decisive blow.
Despite the outcome, there are still strong reasons to consider Oklahoma City the favorite in this series. However, the second half of Thursday`s game provided a clear strategy for Indiana: protect the basketball, and their high-powered offense can thrive. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, experienced offensive stagnation in crucial moments, with Gilgeous-Alexander missing key shots down the stretch.
Because of these factors, the Pacers have now claimed a Game 1 road victory for the third straight series, replicating their success in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Cleveland and the Eastern Conference Finals against New York.
Consequently, we now have a truly compelling series on our hands.
Thunder`s Defense Needs Consistency Over 48 Minutes
The first half showcased the Thunder`s defensive intensity at its peak, leading to 19 turnovers by the Pacers and limiting them to just 45 points. However, this performance did not extend into the second half.
Perhaps it took the Pacers a couple of quarters to adapt to Oklahoma City`s defensive pressure, but Indiana appeared much more comfortable after halftime, scoring 66 points in the second half – including 35 in the fourth quarter, capped by Haliburton`s winning shot – to complete the upset.
Significantly, Indiana committed only five turnovers in the second half, enabling them to play their preferred fast-paced, controlled offensive style.
Reducing Turnovers Key to Another Pacers Comeback
If this playoff run has taught us anything, it`s never to count out the Pacers. After trailing by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter, Indiana staged a furious rally to snatch Game 1 with another clutch winning shot from Haliburton with 0.3 seconds remaining – the only moment they held the lead.
This has become a recurring theme for the Pacers during this postseason: a fourth-quarter comeback in Game 1 on the road that has proven demoralizing for each of their previous three opponents.
Indiana`s latest comeback was powered by their usual suspects: timely three-pointers from Myles Turner, Obi Toppin, and Aaron Nesmith, combined with drastically improved ball security after a turnover-plagued first half.
And, predictably, Haliburton once again hit the critical shot to seal the victory.
Anticipating Game 2 Dynamics
Can Indiana replicate their feat? This marks the third consecutive series where the Pacers have won Game 1 on the road. In the prior two instances, they followed up by winning Game 2, establishing a commanding 2-0 series lead.
Historically, teams that lose Game 1 at home are strong favorites to even the series in Game 2. Since 2021, higher-seeded teams have won Game 2 in 21 out of 28 instances after dropping Game 1 at home, typically outscoring their opponents by a significant margin.
In the current playoffs, home teams losing Game 1 have, on average, outscored opponents by 12 points in Game 2. This trend includes several dominant wins, such as Oklahoma City`s own 43-point victory over Denver in a previous Game 2 this season. Only three Game 2s this postseason have gone to the road team: Indiana achieved this twice before this series, and the Knicks did so against Boston.
Partially, this pattern is influenced by the natural inclination for a road team to experience a slight letdown in Game 2 after achieving their primary goal of splitting the first two games to gain home-court advantage. Credit goes to the Pacers for consistently avoiding complacency and building leads that their opponents couldn`t overcome. Doing this against the Thunder, a team that has lost back-to-back games only twice all season, will arguably be their most difficult challenge yet.
