The Indiana Pacers are only three games away from basketball immortality, coming off the back of a massive Game 1 NBA Finals upset.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were in control of the game for most of the game, leading the entirety of the game and maintaining a healthy lead until the Pacers — like they have done all series long — pull off a fourth quarter comeback.
While the Thunder looked every bit the favorite, the Pacers stayed in the game the entire time, hitting shots to keep Oklahoma City within reach until the Pacers made a run to close the gap.
Then, Tyrese Haliburton happened. With seconds left on the clock, he dribbled to the right and pulled up for a contested mid-range jump shot, giving the Pacers their first lead of the game, leaving only 0.3 seconds left.
His relaxed approach to these intense moments comes due to the team’s underdog status, easing expectations off of Haliburton and giving him freedom.
“What’s the point?” Haliburton told Andscape’s Marc Spears after the game.
“Ain’t nobody expected us to win this [expletive] anyway. So, what’s the point of tripping? Not a person expected us to win not a single series we played in. So, what’s the point of tripping?
“We are playing with house money, really. We have been playing with house money all playoffs.”
The Pacers’ roster is full of young players — with the majority of players are under the age of 30 — though the team has experience playing together in the playoffs.
Indiana made the Eastern Conference Finals last season, getting swept by the Boston Celtics, who ended up winning the entire thing, which lit a fire in the Pacers and provided a renewed sense of motivation.
“If you have a run like last [season] and get swept in the Eastern Conference finals and all the conversation is about how you don’t belong there, how you lucked out to get there and it was a fluke, guys are going to be pissed off. They are going to spend the summer pissed off,” Haliburton told Spears.
“Then you come into [this season] hearing about how it all was a fluke. And then you’re unsuccessful the first couple months and that’s easy for everyone to clown you and talk about you in a negative way. And as a group, we take everything personal.”
More Pacers news:
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Drops Epic Quote After NBA Finals Game Winner
Pacers on Track for Special Postseason Run With Thunder Victory
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton is Having a Better Postseason Than Prime LeBron James
Pacers’ Shocking Turnaround by the Numbers Proves They Can Win It All
Fans in Awe of Bonkers Korean Broadcasts of Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Game Winner
Pacers Were One Wrong Move Away From Total Disaster
For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, head on over to Indiana Pacers on SI.
