Whatever remaining doubt there was about Tyrese Haliburton being a big-time player was erased on Thursday night. This is after the two-time All-Star led the Indiana Pacers to an improbable 111-110 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
The Pacers were down by as many as 15 points in this one, and it seemed like the Thunder were well on their way to cruising to a home win in the series opener after leading the contest for virtually the entire 48 minutes.
Unfortunately for them, Tyrese Haliburton happened.
The 25-year-old gave Indiana its first lead of the game with just 0.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. This came after Haliburton cold-bloodedly knocked down a go-ahead jumper in the dying seconds of the game to break the collective heart of the Thunder and all their supporters.
Tyrese Haliburton in Game 1 of The NBA Finals.
Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers celebrates against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Haliburton was mic'd up for the game, which gave basketball fans the opportunity to hear what the 6-foot-5 guard said immediately after hitting his epic game-winner.
"One down!" Haliburton said, "One down, baby."
Haliburton's first reaction was a primal scream after he saw his shot hit the bottom of the net. As he walked to the bench, the two-time All-NBA guard then started telling his teammates that they had "one (win) down."
Right now, Indiana needs just three more victories to secure their first NBA championship in franchise history. It's as if Haliburton and Co. can already taste it, and there is no doubt that they will do everything in their power to make this dream a reality.