Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers stole Game 1 at the end of their NBA Finals showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, much like they did in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks.
The Pacers didn’t have a lead until there were 0.3 seconds left on the clock, having trailed for the entire game, with the Thunder going up by as much as 15 in the fourth quarter.
The former Iowa State guard didn’t impose himself on proceedings as much as he would have liked to, but he stepped up when his team needed him, hitting a clutch jumper from 21 feet out to give Indiana a 111-110 lead with the seconds melting down.
Given his performance, he was the one everyone wanted to speak to after the game. Even his interviews were surprising, as his voice kept changing while he spoke.
Check him out in the video below:
Hali’s voice changed twice in 10 seconds 😭 pic.twitter.com/Ct6uX4Itpt
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 6, 2025
“Those are the demons fighting for control,” one fan suggested.
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Those are the demons fighting for control.
— kevin (@KevGar65) June 6, 2025
“That moment when puberty hits mid-sentence! Poor Hali, we’ve all had those voice crack moments, just maybe not as dramatically as this 😂,” another joked.
That moment when puberty hits mid-sentence! Poor Hali, we've all had those voice crack moments, just maybe not as dramatically as this 😂
— Conservative Waters (@ConservativeH2O) June 6, 2025
“He turned into Jodeci 😂,” someone laughed.
He turned into Jodeci 😂
— NimasWorld (@_nimasworld) June 6, 2025
And again…
Tyrese Haliburton's voice change mid-sentence is crazy. 🤣
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 6, 2025
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
pic.twitter.com/J3NYo62GEk
“The devils tryna communicate thru him like in the Conjuring 2, I’ve seen this before,” a user explained.
The devils tryna communicate thru him like in the Conjuring 2, I’ve seen this before
— 𝓜𝓪𝓽𝓽 ✈️ (@mldiffley) June 6, 2025
“Either some supernatural being got to him/possessed him or they’re trying out some AI, in real time. Simply no other explanation 😎😈,” someone else theorized.
Either some supernatural being got to him/possessed him or they're trying out some AI, in real time.
— Raden (@VLQ28) June 6, 2025
Simply no other explanation 😎😈
“Bro, made a deal with the devil I don’t care f**k this s**t,” said another.
Bro, made a deal with the devil I don’t care fuck this shit
— . (@xLogicxl) June 6, 2025
Well, that would explain the otherworldly feats, but he would tell you it must be the shoes.
Tyrese Haliburton Now Level With Pacers Legend Reggie Miller
Tyrese Haliburton debuted his signature Puma Hali 1 Hibiscus kicks in Game 1 and said they were the “secret sauce” responsible for his clutch shot.
The 25-year-old scored 14 points on the night on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and 2-of-7 shooting from three, adding 10 rebounds and six assists.
His final shot saw him tie Pacers icon Reggie Miller for the second-most game-winning shots in the final five seconds of a postseason game since 1997. He now only trails LeBron James.
Also Read: Tyrese Haliburton Fires Back At Experts For Dismissing Pacers In Lopsided NBA Finals Predictions
