The Indiana Pacers stunned the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their Western Conference Finals series, winning 111-110 on a game-winning three-pointer from Tyrese Haliburton with just 0.3 seconds remaining.
Game Highlights
- Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with an impressive 32 points, including the clutch shot that sealed the win for Indiana.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a team-high 38 points for the Thunder but struggled down the stretch, being held scoreless for nearly five minutes before scoring on an alley-oop layup with about two minutes remaining.
- Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws to give Oklahoma City its largest lead since early in the third quarter at nine points.
Key Moments
- Haliburton quickly responded with seven straight Pacers baskets, tying the game at 106-106 on his own three-pointer with just under a minute left.
- The Thunder regained possession when Josh Giddey stole an inbound pass from Bennedict Mathurin and fed Gilgeous-Alexander for another basket, putting OKC ahead by one point again.
- Haliburton’s clutch performance ultimately sealed the win for Indiana, sending shockwaves throughout the league as they took control of their series against top-seeded opponents.
Coach’s Reaction
The win marked a dramatic turnaround for Indiana after trailing by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter and having lost four consecutive games to Oklahoma City dating back to last season. The loss was also a tough pill to swallow for Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault, who expressed frustration over his team’s inability to close out games despite having multiple opportunities throughout regulation.
"It was frustrating," Daigneault said during the post-game press conference. "We didn’t make enough plays down there (in crunch time). We didn’t get stops when we needed them."
Player Performance
Despite being held scoreless for nearly five minutes late in regulation, Gilgeous-Alexander still managed to finish with a team-high 38 points, adding six rebounds and four assists, while also grabbing seven defensive boards along the way.
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