After a dominant regular season for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the number one seed was expected to run away in the championship series when they were matched against the number four seed Indiana Pacers. But, fueled by clutch performances by rising star Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers confirmed they were a team to be reckoned with. It started with a statement win for the Pacers in the opening game of the best-of-seven series in Oklahoma City.

The victory for the underdogs was a reiteration of the previous three playoff series, each marked by a double-digit, come-from-behind win, punctuated by a game-winning (or tying) shot to pull out the victory. Game One of the NBA Finals found the Thunder leading the entire game, except for the final second on the clock. Trailing the whole game, The Pacers Haliburton threw up the final shot to win the game at the buzzer, sending OKC into shock. The Pacers trailed by as many as 15 points with just over 9:00 minutes left in the game.

Four times, Haliburton has either tied or won the game with a big-time bucket at the buzzer. This time, his 21-foot jumper with 0.3 seconds left to silence the Oklahoma City Thunder. Stealing not only the win for the Pacers but the home court advantage in the opening game with the 111-110 win.

“I never lose belief in our group. I never lose belief (in myself),” Haliburton told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt after Indiana’s one-point victory in Game 1. “If I lose belief in taking a shot at the end of a game, we’re probably screwed. So, I just gotta stick with it and stay confident and keep making plays.”

The Thunder would return to form in Game Two of the series with a start-to-finish domination of the Pacers, winning 123-107. But the damage had been done; the Pacers took their road split back home to Indiana still with the home-court advantage. As long as the Pacers win their home games, they win the championship title.

It would be the first NBA Finals appearance in Indiana for 25 years when the Pacers went home to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Wednesday. And they did not disappoint the hometown fans. In a close match down the stretch, the Pacers would pull away in the end for a 116-107 win over the Thunder in Game Three. League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder would finish with 24 points in the loss. Tyrese Haliburton posted 22 points for the Pacers. Both were the second-leading scorers on their respective teams. Game Four will also be in Indianapolis on Friday.

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