Simply put, the Indiana Pacers refuse to go away.
The New York Knicks saw it first-hand. Eastern Conference top seed Cleveland learned the hard way. Even Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks felt it too.
And now, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder — the NBA’s best team all season — have become the latest to experience the same harsh truth.
This is who Indiana is — they stumble, crawl back, hang around, and then kick the door open as superstar Tyrese Haliburton slams it shut behind them in the end.
Their playoff run has become a carousel of comebacks, each more improbable than the last. And through it all, Haliburton — perhaps the league’s new Mr. ‘Big Shot’— has been the common thread, delivering one clutch moments after the other.
Here’s a look back at the Pacers’ five unreal comebacks so far in the 2025 postseason:
Game 1, NBA Finals vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Indiana turned the ball over 25 times, trailed by as many as 15 points, and faced league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his Oklahoma City Thunder on the road.
Even with three minutes remaining, the Pacers were still down nine.
But when the game hung in the balance, Tyrese Haliburton sized up his defender, created space with a step back and buried a 21-foot jumper with 0.3 seconds left to cap off a stunning 111-110 come-from-behind win.
[ALSO READ: Tyrese Haliburton on Pacers game-winner in Finals G1: 'Shot I’ve worked on a million times']
It was the Pacers’ first — and only — lead of the night and it was all they needed.
Furthermore, Indiana became just the second team in NBA history to overcome a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit in the Finals, joining the 2011 Dallas Mavericks.
The common thread between those two teams? Rick Carlisle — then the coach of the Mavericks and now leading this resilient Pacers squad.
There have been three 4th-quarter comebacks of 15+ points in the NBA Finals since 1971.
— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2025
The last 2 were by Rick Carlisle-coached teams.
6/2/2011: Mavericks 95, Heat 93
6/5/2025: Pacers 111, Thunder 110
Game 1, Eastern Conference Finals vs. New York Knicks
Down 14 with under three minutes left at Madison Square Garden in a playoff game? Most teams fold — but these are the Pacers.
Aaron Nesmith’s barrage of 3s lit the fuse, but it was Tyrese Haliburton who delivered the moment that mattered most.
With time winding down in regulation, Haliburton nearly lost his dribble, recovered, stepped back just inside the arc — and let it fly.
Splash.
He backpedaled with a nod to Pacers legend Reggie Miller, flashing a “choke” sign to the Garden crowd just like in 1994.
For a brief moment, it looked like he’d won the game with a three-pointer, but replay showed his toe on the line — two points, not three — and the game went to overtime.
But the damage was done. The momentum was Indiana’s, and the Pacers rode it to a 138-135 win en route to finishing off their arch rivals in six games to barge into their first NBA Finals trip since 2000.
[ALSO READ: Clutch Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers complete comeback vs Knicks in East Finals opener]
Game 5, Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
This comeback was different — less about one moment of heroics and more a testament to collective pressure, second-half defense, and steady execution.
Haliburton fired 31, Pascal Siakam added 21 of his own as Indiana erased a 19-point first-half deficit on the road to send the East no. 1, 64-win Cavaliers squad packing.
[ALSO READ: Tyrese Haliburton-led Pacers close out Cavaliers in Game 5, advance to East Finals]
It marked the Pacers’ third win of the series in Cleveland and helped them reach the Eastern Conference finals in back-to-back seasons for the first time in over a decade.
Game 2, Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
What felt like a loss turned into yet another Haliburton highlight reel.
The two-time All-Star delivered a cold-blooded triple with 1.1 seconds left to complete an 8-0 run in the final 47.9 seconds, sealing a 120-119 Indiana escape for a commanding 2-0 series lead.
[ALSO READ: Tyrese Haliburton makes dagger three, Pacers stun Cavaliers for 2-0 lead: 'Overrate that']
Earlier, Haliburton just missed a free throw seconds earlier, but grabbed the rebound, stepped beyond the arc and hit from the top of the key.
Overall, he dropped 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and was again the closer Indiana needed.
Game 5, Eastern Conference First Round vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
The game that sparked it all.
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and a desperate Bucks squad seemed poised to overwhelm a fading Indiana team.
Even overtime looked bleak for the Pacers.
But Indiana forced two turnovers in the final 29 seconds, and Haliburton turned on the jets for a blow-by layup over Antetokounmpo with 1.3 ticks for the eventual game-winning basket.
That victory eliminated the Bucks — who were already battling the loss of superstar Damian Lillard to a season-ending Achilles injury in Game 4 — marking the second straight postseason Indiana had ousted Milwaukee.
Haliburton finished with a 26-points and nine assists in what became the defining moment in the rise of Indiana’s current never-say-die identity.
Don’t Ever Count Indy Out
The Pacers have now owned five victories this postseason after trailing by at least 15 points — the most in a single playoff run since 1998.
Four of those included a clutch Haliburton moment and without a doubt, he’s been Indiana’s heartbeat and cool hand when things fall apart.
FINAL SECONDS?
— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2025
GAME ON THE LINE?
That's Tyrese Haliburton's music 🎶
Tyrese has done it in EVERY. SINGLE. ROUND. https://t.co/heI0ELIivW
As the Finals unfold, one truth is clear: If you think you’ve got the Pacers buried, check again.
Because odds are, Haliburton still has a bullet left in the chamber.
