The Indiana Pacers stole Game 1 of the NBA Finals with Tyrese Haliburton’s dagger shot. Here’s how the fans are viewing this suddenly-intriguing series as we head into Game 2.
We’re now well into June, and the sad reality is that there are no more than six games left in the 2024–25 NBA season. But that doesn’t mean the final stretch won’t be filled with drama.
Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly hyped for this year’s Finals. As a card-carrying member of the Minnesota Timberwolves Fan Club, I had visions of a Wolves–Knicks showdown dancing in my head — KAT vs. Ant, Julius Randle vs. his old squad, the franchise’s first Finals appearance, decades in the making. The drama. The stakes. The revenge narratives. Instead, we got Pacers–Thunder, which — at least on paper — felt a little underwhelming. Call it sour grapes if you want. You’re probably right. But when you’ve waited your whole life for a Timberwolves Finals appearance, watching OKC play Indiana in June definitely leaves a bitter taste.
I also didn’t expect the series to be particularly competitive. The Thunder were clearly the best team in the league for most of the regular season. They cruised to the 1-seed in a brutally deep Western Conference, then steamrolled their way through the playoffs: sweeping Memphis, dismantling Minnesota in five, and barely breaking a sweat along the way. Yes, Jokic and the Nuggets pushed them to seven, but let’s be honest — OKC probably wins that series in six if they don’t completely choke away Game 1 in the final minute. (Sound familiar?)
Coming in, I figured this would be another gentlemen’s sweep. Maybe Indiana steals one at home, but that’s it. Apparently, 81% of NBA fans agreed with me, according to a recent SB Nation poll that had OKC as the overwhelming favorite to win the title. That number might already be dropping after the Pacers pulled off a late 15-point comeback in Game 1, capped by Haliburton’s game-winning dagger with 0.3 seconds left — Indiana’s only lead of the night, and the only one that mattered.
And while OKC might still be the likeliest team to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy when this is all said and done, that doesn’t mean we’re rooting for them. Wolves fans certainly aren’t. After watching the Thunder get away with overly physical play, foul-baiting antics, and some eyebrow-raising whistles against Minnesota, there’s no love lost here.
Apparently, we’re not alone. A whopping 63% of NBA fans are pulling for the Pacers in this series — a surprisingly high number considering OKC’s dominance and youth. It’s not like they’re the Warriors after five straight Finals appearances. They’re new blood. They’ve got the reigning MVP. They’re stocked with young talent. But all of that seems to matter less than the Thunder’s growing rep for grifting and flopping their way to wins.
The result – at least 63% of fans were pumping their fists when Haliburton hit that runner in Game 1.
So what now? Maybe OKC shrugs off the loss, takes the punch, and rattles off the next four. They’re more than capable. But something about this Pacers team — their grit, their late-game guts, their “no one believed in us” energy — makes me think they’re not going down easy. They’ve survived every test thrown their way in these playoffs, and it wouldn’t shock me at all if this thing went seven.
And if it does? I’m not sure I’d bet against Tyrese Haliburton and this run of destiny.
If you do want to bet on it, FanDuel Sportsbook has a full slate of odds, props, and Finals wagers ready to go!