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Philadelphia 76ers Star Stunned by Indiana Pacers’ NBA Finals Win

Tyrese Maxey was left feeling stunned after the Indiana Pacers' win.
Justin Grasso|
Jan 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and guard Tyrese Maxey (0) talk during a break in action in the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and guard Tyrese Maxey (0) talk during a break in action in the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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If a Philadelphia 76ers youngster needed some inspiration on Thursday night, Game 1 of the NBA Finals was the right game to check out. Once again, the young veteran Tyrese Haliburton put together a sequence in clutch time to help the Pacers seal the deal on a comeback effort.

Tyrese Maxey was tuned in and immediately went to social media with a reaction that everybody watching understood.

via @TyreseMaxey: Wow

Not much else needed to be said.

Heading into the fourth quarter of the Game 1 battle between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, the visitors trailed 85-76.

Haliburton was having a night that was more on the quiet side, as he knocked down four of his nine shots from the field for 10 points. Fortunately, his playmaking was being flashed, as he averaged five assists. Still, the Pacers needed a total team effort in the fourth to put the game away.

There was no monster quarter-four for Haliburton, but he made the shot that iced the game. As for the rest of the Pacers, everybody played their part in the final 12 minutes.

Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner each produced eight points. Obi Toppin gave Indiana six points off the bench in seven minutes. Haliburton scored four poiunts of his own, and took care of the ball, not turning it over once.

The result of it all? The Pacers outscored the Thunder 35-25 and defeated them to steal Game 1 with a 111-110 victory. For the first time since 1971, a team trailing by nine-plus points in the final three minutes of an NBA Finals game formed a comeback and won the matchup.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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