The NBA Finals haven’t felt this fresh in years. No Celtics, Warriors, or Lakers waving rings in your face. This is the league’s new wave. Tyrese Haliburton & Co. vs Oklahoma City Thunder. A matchup so unexpected, even the basketball gods had to double-check the bracket. But make no mistake, this isn’t some fluky Cinderella run. It’s two hungry teams, here for the throne, not the moment. OKC enters Game 1 with momentum, muscle, and a franchise cornerstone in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing like he’s on a mission to rewrite what superstardom looks like. The Thunder have been the model of modern team-building: patient, calculated, and allergic to bad contracts. Now? They’ve arrived.

But so have the Pacers, no? Scrappy, explosive, and unapologetically fun. And at the center of it all, or at least, hopefully, is Tyrese Haliburton. The conductor of chaos, the face of fun basketball. The guy who took this team from “nice story” to “Finals-bound.” But with Game 1 looming, questions still swirl: Is he at his best? Is he even playing? And if he is… will he look like that version of Tyrese, the one who carved up Milwaukee and lit up the arena like it was his own backyard?

Tyrese Haliburton is officially playing tonight in Game 1 of the NBA Finals vs OKC, and his presence isn’t just important, but it’s everything! After battling hamstring issues during the Eastern Conference Finals, Haliburton is back in uniform and ready to run the show. Indiana needs him, not just to orchestrate the offense, but to keep OKC’s swarming defense honest and match Shai’s star power possession-for-possession.

The rest of the roster, though? They seem good to go as well! Tony Bradley, Isaiah Jackson, and Jarace Walker are sidelined and won’t suit up. Nothing earth-shattering, but it slightly dents the frontcourt flexibility if foul trouble hits. For the Thunder, Nikola Topić, the 2024 lottery pick, is out.

And while the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder have never met in the playoffs before, their regular-season rivalry has been very competitive over the years. As of 2025, the Thunder holds a slight edge in their head-to-head battles, leading 55–46 in regular-season wins. This season alone, OKC took both meetings convincingly, including a 132–111 blowout in March, setting a tone for their Finals clash. But the playoffs are a different beast, and with no postseason history between them, everything is on the line tonight. Be it history, pride, or a shot at NBA immortality.

What does Tyrese Haliburton’s presence mean for the Pacers in Game 1 vs OKC of the NBA Finals?

When Tyrese Haliburton is off the floor, Indiana’s offense feels like someone unplugged the PlayStation. His court vision, tempo control, and pure playmaking IQ refine this Pacers team from high-octane to high-level. He’s the GPS, the gas, and the Spotify playlist on the drive. Haliburton’s ability to stretch defenses with his passing and perimeter shooting keeps the floor wide open for Pascal Siakam’s post work, Andrew Nembhard’s slashing, and Myles Turner’s pick-and-pop game.

And let’s talk vibes. Haliburton plays with a looseness that’s contagious. It keeps the team flowing, especially in high-pressure moments where young rosters can lock up. When Tyrese is in rhythm, Indiana’s ball movement becomes poetic — think motion, misdirection, and the kind of backdoor cuts that would make 2014 Spurs fans tear up.

But beyond the style points, there’s raw production. Haliburton is averaging 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game this playoffs. Solid numbers, but they only tell half the story. What they don’t show is how many secondary assists he creates with his tempo shifts, or how many defensive breakdowns he causes just by holding the ball a beat longer. Early in the playoffs, he was firmly in the Finals MVP conversation, especially after dismantling the Bucks with a near triple-double average and back-to-back fourth quarter takeovers that felt like magic school bus rides into chaos.

And then Pascal Siakam happened. The veteran forward took over against the Knicks, delivering massive scoring nights when Haliburton was banged up and pacing the offense with unexpected poise. Siakam’s surge may have shifted the trophy odds, but don’t get it twisted — this is still Tyrese Haliburton’s team. After all, he’s the Reggie Miller of the 2000s. When he’s on the floor, the Pacers play with purpose. When he’s not, they’re a little less scary, a little less special.

It’s the way he bends the game in his favor, slowing it down or speeding it up at will, and finding the pass before the cutter even knows they’re open. And when you’re facing a disciplined, switch-heavy team like the Thunder? That manipulation of tempo and spacing isn’t just valuable but borderline necessary.

And hey, if the Pacers steal Game 1 from Oklahoma City? You might want to keep an eye on Tyrese Haliburton’s dad. No, seriously, security might. After being banned from sitting courtside during the playoffs for what we’ll just call… extremely animated support, you better believe he’s foaming at the mouth for this moment. Somewhere in Indy, there’s a folding chair shaking in fear. It’s personal, it’s chaotic, and it’s going to be glorious if Haliburton and the Pacers leave OKC with the first win.

With the Finals tipping off tonight at 8:30 PM ET on ESPN, Game 1 is more than just a starting point. It’s a tone-setter. Tyrese Haliburton is in. The stars are aligned. And the Pacers? They’re not just hoping to make noise, they’re here to turn up the volume.