Watch: Tyrese Haliburton stuns Cavs with game-winning play

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (center) celebrates the game-winning three-point basket with forward Aaron Nesmith and center Myles Turner after Game 2 of the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. David Richard-Imagn Images

Watch: Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton stuns Cavaliers with incredible game-winning play

By Adam Gretz | Last updated May 7, 2025 8:02 AM ET

The Indiana Pacers have stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first two games of their second-round series, marching into Cleveland and taking a commanding 2-0 series lead. The second win of the series, a 120-119 victory on Tuesday night, was by far the most stunning game just for the chaotic ending.

Tyrese Haliburton drilled a game-winning three-pointer with less than two seconds to play, just after missing a foul shot — that would have made it a one-point game — and collecting his own rebound.

Have a look.

TYRESE HALIBURTON WINS GAME 2 FOR THE PACERS

WHAT. A. WILD. PLAY. pic.twitter.com/rFsjZmtrBz
— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2025

That is about as chaotic of an ending as an NBA playoff game can have, and it is one of the best individual efforts you will see this season with a game on the line.

That is also the type of game that can completely swing this series in Indiana's favor.

Cleveland seemed to be in complete control entering the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead. But Indiana kept grinding away at it to set the stage for Haliburton's winning play.

He finished the game with 19 points and was 2-of-2 from three-point range. The second of those was obviously the most important.

Now the Pacers take a 2-0 lead back home and are in the driver's seat.

As for Cleveland, this one is going to be difficult to come back from. It entered the game with major injury issues and played without Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De'Andre Hunter. Getting the series tied without that trio would have been a huge accomplishment — and was probably a necessary one. They had it, then let it slip away.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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