Pacers Make History With NBA Finals Game 1 Win Against Thunder originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder faced off on Thursday night for the opening game of the 2025 NBA Finals.
Indiana is in pursuit of their first NBA title, with their only championships coming in the ABA during the early 1970s, prior to the league’s merger with the NBA.
As for Thunder fans, they’ve yet to see their team win a title in the 17 seasons since the move to Oklahoma City. Before relocating from Seattle, the franchise was known as the SuperSonics and won its only NBA championship in 1979. It is safe to say that both franchises are thirsty for glory.
In Game 1, the Pacers trailed the Thunder for 47 minutes and 59.7 seconds, their only lead coming with 0.3 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter.
Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning jumper not only sealed the victory but also gave the Pacers their fifth comeback win of these playoffs after trailing by 15 or more points. No other team has had more of those in a single postseason since 1998.
Game 1 was the Pacers’ fifth comeback victory from a deficit of 15 or more points in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the most by a team in a single postseason since 1998. pic.twitter.com/tg2ldahGXO
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) June 6, 2025
Haliburton spoke to ESPN’s Lisa Salters in the postgame interview and admitted the Pacers are a “resilient group.”
“We just had to figure out how to win in so many different ways… we’re a resilient group,” he preached.
Haliburton concluded the interview by answering what makes this team so relentless: belief.
“We keep believing and we stay together,” the two-time NBA All-Star added. “And it ain’t over ’til it’s over.”
Coverage for Game 2 of the NBA Finals tips off on Sunday at 8 pm ET on ESPN.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.