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Pacers Make Franchise History by Winning Game 1 of NBA Finals
The Indiana Pacers won Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals and made a little franchise history in the process.
Tyrese Haliburton hit an incredible game-winning shot to give the Pacers a 111–110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 Thursday night. While there are a ton of talking points after the contest, including Indiana's 15-point fourth quarter comeback, there's a bit of history that may go unnoticed.
By winning Game 1 in Oklahoma City, the Pacers won their first NBA Finals road game in franchise history.
The Pacers have only been to the NBA Finals one other time. That came in 2000 when they faced Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. They lost that series in six games and dropped all three road games.
It was a big first, too. The Game 1 win swung home court advantage to the Pacers. If they protect their home court in the series, they can win it.
More On Pacers Game 1 Win
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Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.