Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers to a double-digit comeback to steal Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The Thunder now find themselves in a 0-1 hole.

Smiles faded. The room fell quiet. Reality set in. The opening act of a best-of-seven series had just ended, and the Pacers understood the weight of what lies ahead. “We haven't been celebrating a whole lot with anything,

The first game of the finals averaged a 4.7 rating and 8.91 million viewers on ABC. It was one of the lowest-rated and least-watched NBA Finals openers since Nielsen tracking began in 1988. The viewership was more than the 2020 and 2021 finals, but those were impacted by COVID-19.