The Indiana Pacers took down the Oklahoma City Thunder with a shocking 111-110 road victory in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Indiana never led the game until Tyrese Haliburton nailed what would serve as the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds remaining.
Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and Richard Jefferson have the NBA Finals call for ESPN on ABC.
Here’s how the Haliburton go-ahead bucket looked and sounded on the ESPN on ABC broadcast with Breen on the play-by-play call:
TYRESE HALIBURTON AND THE PACERS SINK THE THUNDER IN GAME 1!
Mike Breen: “IT’S GOOD! IT’S GOOD! WITH THREE-TENTHS OF A SECOND REMAINING!… TYRESE HALIBURTON DOES IT AGAIN! THEIR FIRST LEAD OF THE GAME!”
And the ESPN on ABC broadcast shows us Shaq. 🏀🎙️ #NBA #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/NtIQr4JTyp
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 6, 2025
Breen: “Haliburton looking, Haliburton driving, pulls up, jump shot, IT’S GOOD! IT’S GOOD! WITH THREE-TENTHS OF A SECOND REMAINING! TIMEOUT, OKC! TYRESE HALIBURTON DOES IT AGAIN! THEIR FIRST LEAD OF THE GAME! THIS CROWD ABSOLUTELY STUNNED AS THE PACERS TAKE A ONE-POINT LEAD!”
And here’s the game’s final play on the ESPN on ABC broadcast:
Here’s the final play of the Pacers’ STUNNING Game 1 win over the Thunder, followed by Indiana hero Tyrese Haliburton’s interview with Lisa Salters.
Mike Breen on the ESPN on ABC play-by-play.🏀📺🎙️ #NBA #NBAFinals https://t.co/8SFBjbXeMZ pic.twitter.com/T5YW7t2XKV
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 6, 2025
Breen: “KNOCKED AWAY! AND INDIANA TAKES GAME 1, SHOCKING THE THUNDER HERE IN OKC! THE COMEBACK KIDS DO IT AGAIN! WHAT A VICTORY FOR THE PACERS, AS TYRESE HALIBURTON’S HEROICS TAKE CENTERSTAGE!”
ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson: “Mike, this crowd is STUNNED! We are stunned on this broadcast!”
How about the Indiana local radio call?
Mark Boyle is the radio play-by-play voice for the Pacers, and here’s his call for the Haliburton shot:
Here’s the Indiana Pacers radio call from Mark Boyle of Tyrese Haliburton nailing the game-winning shot to stun the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1. 🏀📻🎙️ #NBA #NBAFinals
(h/t: @EddieGarrison_; @Mark_J_Boyle; @1075thefan) pic.twitter.com/f5ILnYQJ89 https://t.co/8SFBjbXeMZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 6, 2025
Boyle: “Haliburton has it with three, driving with two, pulling up, AND HITTING WITH THREE-TENTHS OF A SECOND TO GO! HOW MANY MORE TIMES CAN THIS TEAM DO THAT?”
Pacers radio analyst Eddie Gill: “Sweet baby!”
Game 1 was also heard nationally on ESPN Radio, where Marc Kestecher has the NBA Finals play-by-play duties:
Here’s the ESPN Radio call from Marc Kestecher of Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers stunning the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1. 🏀📻🎙️ #NBA #NBAFinals
(h/t: @ESPNRadio; @marckestecher) pic.twitter.com/pZF5mrwQj6 https://t.co/8SFBjbWGXr
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 6, 2025
Kestecher: “Here’s Haliburton driving, lifting, shot up, GOOD! WITH THREE-TENTHS OF A SECOND TO GO! HALIBURTON DOES IT AGAIN! HOW DOES HE DO IT?”
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.