Indiana overcomes 15-point deficit behind late-game brilliance to steal series opener

In their playoffs full of improbable comebacks, the Indiana Pacers added their most dramatic one yet – stealing Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder, 111-110.

For the 43 minutes and 59.7 seconds of game time, the Pacers never once led. But as they’ve done all playoffs long, they clawed their way back from a daunting double-digit deficit and delivered a perfectly-timed knockout punch when it mattered most.

How did the Pacers do it? The shift began in the third quarter, when Indiana initiated a pair of offensive sets to get Benedict Mathurin involved. First, they ran simultaneous actions: a high pick-and-roll between Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam at the top of the key, while Thomas Bryant set a pindown for Mathurin on the wing. Mathurin caught the pass, drove middle, and dropped it off to Bryant for a thunderous one-handed jam.

Mathurin drop pass to Bryant pic.twitter.com/mZAm4rIbJn

— Mon Anthony Valmoria (@MorvalNBA) June 6, 2025

On the ensuing sideline out-of-bounds play, the Pacers simplified things – Mathurin ran a high pick-and-roll with Bryant at the top. He got downhill quickly and drew a foul on Isaiah Hartenstein. Though OKC challenged the call, the review was unsuccessful – costing the Thunder their last challenge and later proving costly. Mathurin knocked down both free throws, trimming the lead to single digits at 70-79 for the first time since the first quarter.

Mathurin straight line drive, fouled pic.twitter.com/zV7a8jB8da

— Mon Anthony Valmoria (@MorvalNBA) June 6, 2025

After an OKC three, Indiana immediately countered by Indiana as TJ McConnell pushed the ball on the other side right after the make. Using his quickness, McConnell blew past SGA on an empty corner downhill drive and got a paint touch off of it. Hartenstein left his man Bryant on the left corner to challenge the drive, then McConnell delivered a no-look pass to Bryant who then knocked down a three to answer, bringing the lead back to single digits again.

Bryant corner three pic.twitter.com/nDmbPRjklx

— Mon Anthony Valmoria (@MorvalNBA) June 6, 2025

Those two Mathurin plays were important as OKC shifted their focus to him. With OKC now devoting more defensive attention, the Pacers continued manipulating matchups. On the final Indiana possession of the quarter, McConnell motioned for Mathurin to set a screen. The Thunder attempted a pre-switch between Caruso and SGA, trying to neutralize the threat. But the slight miscommunication allowed McConnell to zip a pass to Siakam, who was left alone in the right corner. Siakam calmly buried the three, bringing Indiana within six at 76-82. SGA answered with a buzzer-beater triple, but the Pacers had already shifted the tide.

Siakam corner three pic.twitter.com/HuZStoN4Ps

— Mon Anthony Valmoria (@MorvalNBA) June 6, 2025

Still, that was all Indiana needed – to cut the lead down to single digits before the start of the 4th quarter to make it a manageable deficit, as they try to conjure their signature end game runs that they have been doing all playoffs long.

OKC even pushed the lead to as high as 15 points, 94-79, after a turnover by the Pacers that led to a Jalen Williams breakaway jam – but Indiana never panicked.

The Pacers just would not quit and as they have been doing in these playoffs, fought and crawled back into the game.

A series of scores for the Pacers ensued: Mathurin attacked Caruso for a strong layup. Then, Andrew Nembhard blew by Caruso for a tough and-one. Myles Turner hit a corner three. Obi Toppin knocked down his fifth three of the game. In just a matter of minutes, the lead had evaporated to 91-98.

Indiana got even closer with yet another beautiful sideline out of bounds play: Nembhard got the ball to the middle off the screen from Myles Turner, then he turned around to set yet another screen for Haliburton (who inbounded the ball), but instead it turned to a flare screen and Turner popped out. He got Chet Holmgren off his feet and proceeded to drill a tough stepback three off the glass from the left corner to cut the lead to 4, 94-98, marking a 12-2 over the last three minutes for the Pacers.

Turner stepback three pic.twitter.com/eMowGKcsju

— Mon Anthony Valmoria (@MorvalNBA) June 6, 2025

Next time down, Indiana went to Turner again as Nembhard found him again off the pick and pop action for a right elbow jumper. 96-100 OKC

Off another OKC miss, Haliburton grabbed the rebound, ran the length of the floor, surveyed it for potential passing options, before doing a hesitation dribble that confused SGA. It allowed Haliburton to blow past him and earn a layup on the break – something the Pacers had not had much of this game.

Oklahoma City responded with a tough SGA finish and four free throws to stretch the margin back to nine, 105-96. But Indiana came right back, with Aaron Nesmith burying a left-corner three off a broken play to make it 102-108.

Next play down, Indiana survived once again after Jalen Williams missed a wide-open three-point attempt. Nembhard brought the ball the other way and did a series of dribble moves on SGA before drilling the impressive stepback three from the left wing. The Pacers have now come all the way from 15 down to cut the lead to just 3, 105-108 with 2 minutes left in the game.

Nembhard stepback three pic.twitter.com/8WGH4gHHR5

— Mon Anthony Valmoria (@MorvalNBA) June 6, 2025

The Thunder briefly steadied themselves with a Lu Dort block and an SGA layup to go up 110-105, but that would be their last field goal of the night.

Nembhard calmly sank two free throws, and Siakam followed a crucial block on SGA with a hustle play on the other end – putting back a missed three to make it 109-110 with under a minute to play.

After forcing two stops – one on Williams, another on SGA – the Pacers got the ball back off a rebound with the game on the line. Rick Carlisle trusted his team to find the right shot. It was when Haliburton delivered: an off-balance 18-foot jumper from the right wing that rattled in to give the Pacers their first – and only – lead of the game with 0.3 seconds remaining.

Haliburton for the win pic.twitter.com/mWrlgNpFJf

— Mon Anthony Valmoria (@MorvalNBA) June 6, 2025

OKC was not able to get a shot off for the final possession of the game and thus completed another wild Pacers comeback.

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In the end, OKC missed their shots on offense as they had a hard time protecting the lead, while Indiana got to their offense more with flow and rhythm in the 4th.

The Thunder shot 5-of-17 in the final frame and they were not able to make shots as Indiana chipped away possession by possession. Meanwhile, the Pacers executed with precision and confidence. Whether through elaborate sideline plays or simple two-man actions, they kept creating looks – and more importantly, they kept converting them.

Game 1 was a microcosm of Indiana’s identity in these playoffs: resilient, relentless, and fearless in the face of deficits. With the win, they’ve now stolen home court and placed all the pressure on Oklahoma City to respond in Game 2.