Tyrese Haliburton didn’t just win Game 1 of the NBA Finals—he grabbed the narrative and rewrote it. With 0.3 seconds left, the Pacers star calmly pulled up from 21 feet and buried the game-winner. Indiana stole a 111–110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. They trailed by 15 in the fourth and were still down five with 90 seconds to go. Then Haliburton happened.

After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a potential dagger, Indiana grabbed the rebound and pushed. No timeout. No clipboard. Just trust. Haliburton took control, created space with a quick step, and let it fly. Ball game.

It was his fourth clutch bucket of the playoffs, but this one hit different. It came on the biggest stage of his life. And it came just weeks after Haliburton was voted the NBA’s most overrated player in The Athletic’s player poll. 14.4% of peers gave him that tag. Safe to say: that didn’t age well.

Haliburton answered with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting. He added 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and a team-best +12 net rating. But more than the stats—he closed. Again.

The Pacers rallied behind him. Pascal Siakam dropped 19. Obi Toppin chipped in 17 off the bench. Myles Turner and Andrew Nembhard made key plays too. But the moment? That was all No. 0. The same player doubted as a No. 1 option just became the face of Game 1—and maybe the Finals.

Indiana now leads 1–0. They’ve ripped home-court advantage from OKC. Haliburton didn’t just seal the game. He kicked open the door on a new chapter.

And naturally, the NBA world exploded. Here’s how players around the league reacted to Haliburton’s cold-blooded game-winner.

NBA Players Couldn’t Believe What Tyrese Haliburton Just Did

When Tyrese Haliburton’s 21-foot dagger dropped with 0.3 seconds left in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, it wasn’t just Pacers fans who lost their minds—NBA players across the league were just as stunned. The reactions started pouring in seconds after the buzzer, capturing the moment with a perfect mix of disbelief, respect, and a dash of “How in the world…?”

First up, Hornets center Mark Williams spoke for all of us when he tweeted, “How do they keep doing this.” That wasn’t just about the shot—it was about the entire story. Indiana erased a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, their fifth such comeback this postseason. And it wasn’t luck. It was execution. Consistent, cold-blooded execution. Williams’ reaction reflected more than admiration for Haliburton—it echoed awe at the Pacers’ unshakable identity as comeback kings.

Meanwhile, if you were living under a rock and somehow missed what happened, Jarred McCain’s viral, jaw-dropped reaction tells you everything you need to know. One look at his face, and you understood the moment.

Next came Tyrese Maxey, fresh off his own playoff star turn. He didn’t need a whole sentence. Just one word: “Wow.” It hit like a pause button. Because when Haliburton let that shot fly, time kind of froze. Maxey knows what it’s like to carry that pressure. He recognized it instantly—not just the skill, but the guts it took to rise and fire with the Finals hanging in the balance.

Then there was PJ Washington, who kept it classic and clean: “Big time shot.” No fluff, just facts. Because it’s one thing to hit a game-winner. It’s another to do it with the clock winding down, after declining a timeout, in your very first Finals game. That’s not just a shot—it’s the stuff careers are built on.

Finally, Immanuel Quickley summed up what most of us felt in real time: “……oh my goodness.” That wasn’t just a tweet—it was a full-body reaction. The ellipsis? That was him trying to find the words. The rest? Pure shock and respect.

Each reaction was different. But they all pointed to the same truth: Tyrese Haliburton just had a moment. And the whole league felt it.

These reactions didn’t come out of nowhere. Haliburton’s been nearly automatic in clutch time—shooting 86.7% (13-of-15) in the final two minutes of close games this postseason. That’s tied with Reggie Miller for the second-most game-tying or go-ahead shots in the final five seconds since 1997. The only player ahead of him? LeBron James.

When guys around the league see that kind of ice-cold efficiency and poise, they take notice. Especially when it comes with no timeout, no hesitation, and no wasted motion. Just trust—like the kind Rick Carlisle showed by letting Haliburton take the reins.

The play was special. But the instant respect from peers? That’s when you know a moment’s about to live forever.

Game 1 wasn’t just a win—it was a coronation. Tyrese Haliburton didn’t flinch under the pressure of his first NBA Finals moment. He embraced it, delivered, and made sure the entire basketball world felt it. The numbers back it, the comeback proved it, and the league’s reaction confirmed it: the kid who wasn’t supposed to be that guy just became that guy.

And if this was just the opener, buckle up—because Haliburton and the Pacers might be scripting something legendary.