Tim MacMahon – June 6, 2025, 01:38 AM ET
OKLAHOMA CITY – The atmosphere was heavy for the Oklahoma City Thunder as the final buzzer echoed through the arena on Thursday night. In a stunning finish, the Indiana Pacers snatched victory in Game 1 of the NBA Finals with Tyrese Haliburton’s clutch jumper—his 21-foot pull-up connecting with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock—resulting in a narrow 111-110 loss for the Thunder, who had led by 15 points earlier in the fourth quarter.
This defeat marked just Oklahoma City’s second home loss this playoff season and felt uncannily reminiscent of their previous stumble at the Paycom Center, where the Denver Nuggets had also rallied from a significant fourth-quarter deficit in the Western Conference semifinals.
"It’s frustrating," said Thunder forward Jalen Williams, capturing the disappointment of letting a potential victory slip away. "But we’ve experienced situations like this before."
Oklahoma City, boasting one of the youngest rosters in NBA Finals history, is determined not to let this loss define them. After undermining the Nuggets in Game 2 by a staggering 43 points, the Thunder are ready to make their comeback.
"It hurts, especially losing on a last-second shot in front of our home crowd," said superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 38 points in his Finals debut—marking the third-highest debut in Finals history. "But we know we can bounce back. We’ve lost Game 1s before and come back stronger. That’s our mindset moving forward."
Throughout this playoff run, the Thunder have shown resilience, going 4-0 after losses and winning subsequent games by an average margin of 20.5 points. Notably, they only lost back-to-back games twice during their 68-win regular season.
Coach Mark Daigneault emphasized the importance of emotional resilience, challenging his team to "reset" regardless of the game’s outcome. “Playoff battles push you to your limits. You need to endure and draw on your experiences. Remember, the next game is the most critical, no matter the last result.”
The Thunder entered the Finals well aware of the Pacers’ ability to stage comebacks. This was the fifth instance during this postseason where Indiana overcame a 15-point deficit to win, setting a record for the most such comebacks since at least 1998.
"They deserve credit for their performance," Daigneault acknowledged. "They have belief in themselves and play confidently, regardless of the odds."
The game highlighted Haliburton’s extraordinary skills under pressure, as it was his fourth game-tying or winning shot in the final five seconds of a game this postseason. He executed this crucial shot over Oklahoma City’s defensive standout Cason Wallace.
"You want to avoid putting the game in the hands of their best player in crunch time," remarked veteran Alex Caruso, Oklahoma City’s oldest player and a championship veteran. "We needed to control the ending better."
Despite dominant first-half defense that limited the Pacers to 45 points and forced 20 turnovers, the Thunder converted these opportunities into a meager nine points, allowing Indiana to stay competitive.
The Pacers found their rhythm in the second half, limiting turnovers to just five and scoring 66 points with a sleek 51.1% shooting, including 50% from beyond the arc.
Even so, Oklahoma City squandered chances to seal the game, with the Thunder missing their final three shots as the Pacers made it a one-possession contest. Gilgeous-Alexander himself missed a critical layup and a fadeaway that could have extended their lead before Haliburton’s decisive shot.
"The series isn’t about winning one game; it’s about four victories," Gilgeous-Alexander concluded. "We must refocus and improve. To win that championship, we need to secure four wins before they reach three. That’s our simple goal."