Pacers fans were elated, Thunder fans were stunned and basketball fans everywhere were in awe of Tyrese Haliburton.
The Pacers star hit a game-winning shot — his fourth of the playoffs — with 0.3 seconds left on the clock to lift Indiana to a 111-110 NBA Finals Game 1 win over the Thunder on Thursday night.
Almost immediately, social media erupted with reactions from everyone from Magic Johnson to Caitlin Clark.
“What an incredible shot by Tyrese Haliburton to seal the victory for the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. That was an amazing fourth quarter comeback by the entire Pacers team!” Johnson, the NBA legend, wrote on his X account after the game ended.
“YOU CANT MAKE IT UP,” Clark chimed in with 17 crying laughing emojis in her post on the social media platform.
Noted Pacers fan Pat McAfee called Haliburton, “TYRESE HALIBIGSHOT” in his post.
“TYRESE HALIBIGSHOT! In the finals with his dad in the building,” McAfee said in a video that accompanied the post. “Let’s go, baby! 1-0 Pacers, 9.5-point dogs. What are you going to do about it? We’re dancing, baby! Oh, that’s beautiful. Oh, it’s beautiful.”
In reaction to the shot, 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey simply wrote “Wow” on his X account, and Mavericks power forward P.J. Washington called it a “Big time shot.”
Fans inside Paycom Center in Oklahoma City were left stunned and speechless as the final buzzer sounded and the Pacers captured the win.
Thunder fans exited the arena in a subdued manner compared to the jovial atmosphere from most of the game.
The Pacers now lead the best-of-seven series 1-0, with Game 2 scheduled to take place Sunday at 8 p.m.
Neither the Pacers nor the Thunder, in their current form in Oklahoma City, have ever won an NBA title.