On Thursday, Tyrese Haliburton hit another clutch jumper to give the Indiana Pacers a 1-0 lead in the 2025 NBA Finals. Haliburton’s go-ahead basket in Game 1 against the OKC Thunder drew frenzied reactions from fans and former players.
Three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade took in the final 10 seconds of Game 1 with keen interest. As Haliburton swished the pull-up jumper from just inside the arc, Wade jumped out of his chair.
"Oh s***!" the former Miami Heat star exclaimed. "Superstar, superstar, superstar!"
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The Pacers pulled off yet another dramatic comeback, overcoming a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter at Paycom Center.
With just under three minutes left, the Pacers were down by nine. But clutch baskets by Haliburton's supporting cast of Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam led to a decisive 12-2 Indiana run capped off by the floor general's final basket.
Wade, of course, knows all about game-winners as the former Finals MVP swished a lot of them in his Hall of Fame career. On Thursday, he gladly dished out the "superstar" tag to Indiana's crunchtime hero.
"Gotta be the shoes": Tyrese Haliburton hypes up signature sneaker after Game 1 heroics
For his part, Haliburton has proven time and time again that he possesses impeccable timing. This attribute has been demonstrated not only by his clutch baskets but also by his witty remarks on social media.
Shortly after hitting the pivotal shot to win Game 1 for the Pacers, Haliburton went on X to let the world know what could have possibly propelled his team to victory.
"It's gotta be the shoooeeesss," he tweeted.
It just so happens that Thursday was the night for unveiling the Hali 1, Haliburton's first signature shoe with Puma. With all the fanfare surrounding his game-winner in Game 1, the Hali 1 might be on its way to becoming a blockbuster hit when it hits shelves in September.
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