Tyrese Haliburton is the new Mr. Clutch, while Canadians star in epic Game 1 of NBA Finals
If you skipped Game 1 of the NBA Finals because no big market teams are involved, well, let's just say you messed up.
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Thursday's 111-110 Indiana Pacers win over the Oklahoma City Thunder was an instant classic.
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Other than the start, which saw the Pacers look a bit overwhelmed by the Thunder's spectacular defensive pressure, it was, simply put, a down-to-the-last-second epic.
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His fellow players voted him most overrated and apparently they couldn't have been more wrong. When he got around the defence and got off a long two-point shot with 0.3 seconds left — and nailed it — to win the game, Haliburton was just doing what he usually does.
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It was the fourth time this post-season he either has won or tied a game with less than five seconds remaining in regulation. Jerry West might be known as Mr. Clutch, but Haliburton is right up there with anyone you'd want to take the last shot.
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This one gave Indiana its first lead of the game — the latest a team has taken a lead in a Finals game since 1971 — but he also forced overtime in Game 1 against the Knicks. That one saw the Pacers down 17 in the fourth and by nine with 51.1 seconds left (which is why Haliburton later directed a choke gesture toward the Knicks).
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Haliburton also memorably missed a free throw on purpose in Game 2 against Cleveland, got the rebound, stepped back to three-point range and hit the winner with 1.1 seconds remaining.
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In yet another comeback, Haliburton had rallied his team to victory for a series-winning layup in Game 5 against Milwaukee.
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Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player on the floor in the first half, scoring 12 points in the first quarter alone and had 10 in the fourth, but it wasn't enough.
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Teammate Lu Dort easily was the second-best Thunder player in the game. Dort had a spectacular block (one of two rejections plus four steals for the fourth-place finisher in defensive player of the year voting), added five three-pointers and had four rebounds in a dominant performance.
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Indiana starter Andrew Nembhard was good too, but saved his best for last with eight points and three assists in the fourth. That included a dazzling dribbling package followed by a jumper over his good friend Gilgeous-Alexander.
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