NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal expressed surprise after the Indiana Pacers’ narrow 111-110 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
“No matter what the situation is, nobody expected this. I did not expect this. I thought it should have been a blowout,” O’Neal said postgame on NBA TV. He noted that Indiana did not play well overall despite the win.
O’Neal singled out Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who scored 14 points and hit the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left. “I thought even though Tyrese was six for 13, a little too passive for me,” he added.
The NBA Hall of Famer praised bench player Obi Toppin for his 17 points on efficient shooting. “Obi Toppin played great. Nembhard hit a big step back three, and they just kept fighting,” O’Neal said.
Haliburton’s clutch jumper capped a stunning comeback from 15 points down in the fourth quarter. The Pacers outscored the Thunder 35-25 in the final period, finishing on a 17-7 run.
O’Neal recognized Indiana’s resilience despite committing 25 turnovers. “Indiana, they definitely stole one. And nobody expected this. They played well,” he commented.
The Pacers improved to 4-0 in one-point games this postseason with Haliburton sealing each victory. Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Andrew Nembhard contributed 14 points and six assists.
Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 38 points but could not prevent the defeat. The Thunder shot under 40% from the field and committed six turnovers in the fourth quarter.
Game 2 takes place Sunday in Oklahoma City, where the top-seeded Thunder will seek to even the series before it returns to Indiana.
