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.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pacers Make Franchise History by Winning Game 1 of NBA Finals.