The Indiana Pacers did not have the best start to the NBA Finals. They have already ended up making history in a way that they would want to forget. The Pacers had 19 turnovers in the first half as the OKC Thunder dominated the ball. However, they got their redemption in the final second of the game as a Tyrese Haliburton game-winner sealed a 111-110 win for the Pacers.
According to Tom Aberstroh of Yahoo Sports, the Pacers’ 19 turnovers are the highest recorded turnovers in a Playoff game first half in the past 25 years (since 2000).
Teams have played 4,280 playoff games since 2000.
IND just became the first one to have 19 TO before halftime. pic.twitter.com/N0lYtkNo5x
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) June 6, 2025
According to Marc Spears, who claims Statmuse as his source, the Golden State Warriors recorded the most turnovers in an NBA Finals game in 1975 when they had 36 turnovers against the Washington Bullets.
Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith recorded the most individual turnovers for the Pacers with four each in the first half, followed by Obi Toppin’s three turnovers.
What Does This Mean For Thunder, Pacers?
The Pacers cut the game to a six-point deficit near the end of the third quarter before a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander three-pointer in the final second pushed the lead to nine points (85-76) at the end of the third quarter. The Thunder had only six turnovers as a team in the whole game, meanwhile the Pacers had 24.
Tyrese Haliburton recently became the first player in playoff history to put up at least 30 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds without a turnover since turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78. Going from that to now having a record number of turnovers as a team compels a deeper dive into his performance, especially.
Haliburton had two turnovers in the first half, with only six points in five shots, seven rebounds, and three assists. Haliburton ended the game with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an MVP-caliber performance in Game 1. He finished the game with 38 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.
The Pacers are a 48-minute team as they rallied back from the deficit in the fourth quarter of the game. They cut the nine-point lead to a single-possession game in the final minutes as they went on a 10-2 run in the final two minutes of the game. For them, it did not matter how bad their first-half performance was.
Throughout the Playoffs, we’ve seen the Pacers be a resilient comeback team to steal victories late in the fourth quarter. They have a short-term memory as a team regarding such forgettable runs. Maybe it was just the cold feet of being in the Finals for the first time since 2000, but rest assured, the Pacers will brush it off and forget about it. Their resilience has won them two games in the playoffs, where they were down 20 points, and thrice while being down 7 in the final minute. They have yet again pulled off a miracle.
