The first game of the 2025 NBA Finals was always going to be shaped by its most prominent guards: Thunder supernova Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Pacers standout Tyrese Haliburton.
Both talents performed admirably, taking center stage in a captivating affair that shifted like tides. Gilgeous-Alexander authored up an epic display, tallying a game-high 38 points on 14-of-30 shooting to power Oklahoma City’s fearsome attack.
And yet, Haliburton made the final — and most notable — contribution to the affair, pulling out yet another rabbit foot from his billowy pockets. The spindly ball-handler tossed another late-game bow into the basket with 0.3 seconds to go, and it proved rather consequential: Indiana secured a 111-110 Game 1 win as a result.
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Tyrese Haliburton game-winner Game 1 vs. OKC
Haliburton offered another entry into his growing list of postseason game-winners at the end of Game 1, stalking his prey as he crossed the half-court line as the clock dwindled toward 0.00.
Matched up against vaunted defender Cason Wallace, Haliburton slalomed around the arc. After trotting a few feet inside the three-point line, Haliburton took aim, leaping high above Wallace’s outstretched grasp. The orange orb, unruly as ever, rustled around the rim before falling through the net.
Tyrese Haliburton for the lead with .3 remaining.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/bsYPIHo4tH
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 6, 2025
It was the final two of Haliburton’s 14 points on the night. He wasn’t quite as prolific as he’s been throughout the postseason, but his basket proved just as decisive. All the while, it added to his reputation as the league’s most clutch scorer.
PUT SOME RESPECT ON TYRESE HALIBURTON’S NAME pic.twitter.com/fHlCCraQNP
— csb (@itsCSB__) June 6, 2025
Tyrese Haliburton clutch shots
Haliburton’s latest heroics came from the mid-range. His dagger against the Knicks came from a similar distance, albeit unintentionally. He launched a successful prayer from deep against the Cavaliers in the second round. Then, there was his series-clinching layup against the Bucks, forged after dispatching former Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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All of that is to say, Haliburton is as effective as it comes when Indiana needs a basket. That’s shown in the numbers, too. Haliburton’s latest flourish pushed him to 13-of-15 on shot attempts to either tie or take the lead in the final two minutes of contests during the 2024-25 season, a stunning 86.6% success rate.
The advanced analytics paint a similar picture, as Haliburton’s shooting clutch win probability added rate ranks as the highest-ever in a single postseason thus far. The other options aren’t all that close, either.
by far https://t.co/xhWndX7UkE pic.twitter.com/vHSR0qToQJ
— Mike Beuoy (@inpredict) June 6, 2025
“Man, basketball is fun,” Haliburton said postgame. “Winning is fun.”
The Pacers have been doing a lot of it in the postseason thus far. Haliburton is among the biggest reasons why.
