Oshkosh North alum Tyrese Haliburton Hits a Dramatic Winning Shot in Game 1 of NBA Finals

The two-time All-Star guard drills clutch jumper with 0.3 seconds left to lift Pacers over Thunder in thrilling comeback win

Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the fourth quarter in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Haliburton Delivers Game-Winner in Finals Debut

Almost every aspiring high school boys basketball player has envisioned what it would be like to hit a game-winning shot in the NBA Finals.

For Oshkosh North High School alum Tyrese Haliburton, a two-time NBA All-Star guard for the Indiana Pacers, that dream became a reality Thursday night.

With time winding down, the 6-foot-5 Haliburton quickly dribbled toward the right side of the perimeter, elevated above a defender, and abruptly launched the high-arcing jump shot.

Moments later the ball fell through the hoop with 0.3 seconds remaining, erasing a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit and ultimately giving the Pacers a stunning 111-110 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Paycom Center.

sweet, sweet dreams 😴 pic.twitter.com/mSgoLWdmiF

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 6, 2025

"Basketball Is Fun, Man" — Haliburton Reacts

"We keep believing and we stay together... it ain't over until its zero," said Haliburton, in a post-game interview with ESPN on ABC reporter Lisa Salters. "We got the stop and coach trusts us in those moments to not call a timeout, trusts me in those moments, guys trust me and just trying to make a play. Basketball is fun, man, winning is fun. That's a great win for us."

Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers' guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) makes the game winning shot with 0.3 seconds remaining during Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on Thursday. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Stat Line and Impact: Haliburton Leads Pacers

The 25-year-old Haliburton was one of six players scoring in double figures for the Eastern Conference champion Pacers, registering a double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in 39 minutes to complete the highlight-reel individual performance.

It was the latest fist-pumping victory for the former Oshkosh North star, who scored 30 points in leading the Spartans to a Wisconsin (WIAA) Division 1 boys basketball state championship in 2018.

From Oshkosh to the NBA Finals Spotlight

The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association multi-year all-state selection and 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year went on to star for Iowa State University for two seasons.

A Max Contract Moment

Haliburton declared for the NBA Draft in 2020 and was selected as the 12th overall pick by the Sacramento Kings. He was later traded to the Pacers in 2022 and currently is in the first year of a new, five-year contract worth a potential $260 million.

If Thursday's last-second heroics were a sign of things to come, he could prove to be worth every penny and hoist a Larry O' Brien Championship Trophy in mid-June.

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-- Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com