0.3 Seconds of Greatness: Haliburton Steals Game 1 in OKC

Tyrese Haliburton. Did. It. AGAIN.

Down one. Less than 10 seconds on the clock. And what does he do?

He didn’t flinch. He didn’t panic. He didn’t look for the moment—the moment found him.

With the poise of a seasoned vet and the guts of a legend, Hali pulled up midrange and dropped a cold-blooded jumper that shut the arena down.

Final score: Pacers 111, Thunder 110.

Time led in the game:

• OKC: 47 minutes, 59.7 seconds

• Indiana: 0.3 seconds.

That’s not a typo. That’s not hyperbole. That’s not 2K. That’s real life.

The Pacers trailed the ENTIRE game. Down by as much as 15 in the fourth quarter.

And somehow, some way, Indiana stole Game 1 on the road.

The heart. The nerve. The audacity.

Let me hit you with this stat like it’s a James Brown bassline: NBA teams trailing by 9 or more in the final 3 minutes of a playoff game were 0–182.

Now? 1–182. 

And that “1” got Tyrese Haliburton’s name all over it like a mixtape hosted by DJ Drama.

This is now the fifth time this postseason that Indiana has come back from a 15+ point deficit—the most by any team in a single postseason since 1998.

That isn’t luck. That’s belief. That’s resilience dressed up in navy and gold.

Haliburton has now hit FIVE game-tying or go-ahead field goals in the final five seconds — four this postseason alone.

That’s Steph Curry–meets–Reggie Miller territory.

And oh yeah—he’s now the third player in the last 30 years to hit a go-ahead shot in the final second of an NBA Finals game.

Like I said last week, stop calling this man "underrated." He’s underappreciated.

There’s a difference. And you better start putting some respect on his name.

Now let’s rewind real quick.

At halftime, the Pacers had more turnovers (19) than made field goals (15). They were down double digits.

OKC had 18 more shot attempts than them. The Thunder were fresher and faster, and it felt like the moment was too big for Indy.

But Rick Carlisle—yes, that Rick Carlisle, who once coached Dirk Nowitzki to the promised land—got in that locker room and reminded his team who they are. Not who the media says they are. Who they are.

And from that point forward, Indiana clamped up. They held OKC to just 37% shooting in the first half and rode their defense to the finish line.

Look at the balance:

• Pascal Siakam: 19 PTS, 10 REB

• Obi Toppin: 17 PTS, 5 REB, 5 THREES

• Myles Turner: 15 PTS, 9 REB, 3 BLK

• Haliburton: 14 PTS, 10 AST, 6 REB, 1 Dagger

  
  

And let's not ignore SGA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 38 points, doing everything he could. But this isn’t 2K. It’s not just one-on-one iso ball. The Pacers play team ball. They play connected. They play for each other.

And I tried to tell people—this wasn’t going to be no walk in the park for OKC. Everybody was talking about a sweep. “Oh, Thunder in 5. They got the MVP! They got the depth!”

And yeah, all that’s true. But Indiana matches up with them perfectly.

They can switch everything. They can run with anybody. And most importantly? They never stop believing.

Game 2 is Sunday. The Thunder better regroup, because what we just witnessed wasn’t a fluke. It was a statement.

Tyrese Haliburton is HIM.

And Indiana? They’re not just happy to be here.

They came to take it.