The difference on the final scoreboard was one point, and the difference on this first installment of the Finals MVP Ladder is one spot, separating the player who made the shot and the one who missed — Tyrese Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Haliburton, considered overrated by some of his peers, came up big again in Game 1 when his jumper with 0.3 seconds left gave Indiana a 111-110 victory over the heavily favored Thunder.

Tyrese Haliburton brought up the Indiana Pacers' underdog status when discussing the team's modest locker room celebration after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals.