Oklahoma City (AP) – The strategy was straightforward. The Indiana Pacers indicated they were just rolling the dice because there weren’t any viable alternatives at the moment.
Trailing by 15 with 9:42 remaining, they turned the ball over once across three possessions, unable to contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose performance ignited a deafening uproar from the crowd in Oklahoma City.
“We said, ‘Let’s just keep chipping away at it,'” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “I just kept chipping away, throwing my chips out there and wandering around.”
With only 0.3 seconds left, there were no more chips to play.
Nonetheless, this wasn’t Game 1. Tyrese Haliburton scored in crucial moments, leading the Pacers to a stunning 111-110 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opener of this year’s NBA Finals on Thursday night.
Take a look at the comeback:
Execution
The Pacers outscored the Thunder 32-16 during the final 9:42, with only six players familiar with the closing minutes contributing to the scoring.
Obi Toppin attempted two shots—both 3-pointers—and both hit the mark.
Miles Turner and Andrew Nembhard each contributed eight points, energizing Indiana. Aaron Nesmith led the Pacers with four rebounds during this stretch, while Haliburton capped it off with a jumper and an emphatic finish.
“I’ve put in so much work that I’m not going to hold back, especially since I’ve wanted to be at this level my whole life,” Turner said.
Collapse
The Thunder shot just 4 for 16 in the closing stretch, with Gilgeous-Alexander going 4 for 2. The rest of the Thunder managed a mere 2 for 12. The MVP finished with 10 points, while the rest of the team combined for just six.
What caused this decline?
“A little bit of everything,” explained Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “They made plays. Some of those shots they hit, and we were hoping to respond. We had a bonus foul that proved costly, and offensively, we didn’t capitalize on our opportunities.”
Reaction
There wasn’t any elaborate celebration from Haliburton, but there were heartfelt embraces with his teammates, followed by a significant hug with his father, John Halliburton, in the hallway near the Pacers’ locker room.
The Pacers chose not to engage in a massive, exuberant post-game celebration during this playoff run.
“It’s been a long journey with a lot happening,” Carlisle said. “So we need to keep our focus on the game and each other.”
Big Play
Several key moments stood out:
– Carlisle introduced five new players: Halliburton, Nembhard, Nesmith, Toppin, and Turner.
– Turner drained a 3-pointer with 7:47 remaining, trimming the lead to 96-88 and prompting an OKC timeout.
– Toppin and Turner each hit 3-pointers on successive possessions (with Turner keeping the second one alive thanks to an offensive rebound), narrowing the gap to 98-94 with 6:16 left.
– Two free throws from Gilgeous-Alexander extended the Thunder’s lead to 108-99 with 2:52 remaining. Then, Nesmith and Nembhard each nailed 3-pointers in quick succession, bringing Indiana back into contention with 1:59 left.
– The Pacers had a crucial stop with 11 seconds remaining without calling a timeout. They used a challenge instead to set up the final play. The clock continued to run, and Halliburton hit the game-winner with just 0.3 seconds left.
The Final Words
“I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know this team is resilient and will never give up until the clock shows 0.0.” – Haliburton.
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Source: apnews.com