Rick Carlisle’s Masterclass: A Night That Defined the 2025 NBA Finals
On a humid June night in Oklahoma City, with 18,203 fans roaring in Paycom Center, Rick Carlisle orchestrated what might become the defining moment of his coaching career. The Indiana Pacers, battered by turnovers and lethargic defense for three quarters, stormed back from a 15-point deficit to stun the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, stealing Game 1 of the NBA Finals with a 111-110 victory.
It wasn’t just a win. It was a testament to Carlisle’s philosophy: trust the players, trust the moment.
For much of the night, it seemed the youthful Thunder—with MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander slicing through defenders and Chet Holmgren blocking everything in sight—would cruise to an opening win. The Pacers trailed by 12 at halftime and found themselves down 97-82 with just over eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.
But Rick Carlisle never flinched.
“He just kept saying, ‘We’ve been here before. You know how to finish,’” Tyrese Haliburton later told reporters.
The Pacers had made five comebacks of 15 or more points during the 2025 playoffs—an NBA record—and Carlisle’s calm leadership gave his team the belief they could do it again. He refused to burn timeouts prematurely, letting his players battle through adversity. The defense tightened. Bruce Brown picked off a lazy pass for a fast-break layup. Myles Turner rejected Holmgren at the rim. Suddenly, the Thunder’s double-digit lead was slipping away.
Then came the defining moment.
With 19 seconds left and Indiana down 110-109 after Jalen Williams missed a mid-range jumper, Turner grabbed the rebound and immediately flipped the ball to Haliburton. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault waited for Carlisle to call timeout.
Carlisle didn’t.
“We had numbers. I didn’t want to let their defense get set,” Carlisle said postgame. “Sometimes the best call is no call.”
Haliburton streaked up court, crossed over Josh Giddey, and stepped into a deep right-wing three. Swish. The Pacers led 111-110 with 4.2 seconds left. The arena went silent except for the celebration echoing from the Indiana bench.
Thunder fans gasped as Gilgeous-Alexander’s desperate final jumper bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
It was Carlisle’s gutsiest decision of the season—perhaps his career—and it paid off.
But his mastery wasn’t confined to the court. In his pregame media session, Carlisle had paused to address rumors swirling around ESPN’s Doris Burke, whose future with the network was in question. He publicly praised Burke as a “pioneer” and “essential voice for the game,” drawing applause from the press room. It was a quiet moment that revealed Carlisle’s depth—not just as a coach but as a leader who respected the broader basketball community.
The Pacers’ miraculous win was more than luck or a hot shooting streak—it was Carlisle’s resilience and adaptability embodied on the hardwood. His refusal to panic. His faith in his players’ instincts. His trust in momentum.
“This is who we are,” Carlisle said, grinning as he walked off the court. “We don’t stop playing. Not ever.”
As the Pacers head into Game 2 with a 1-0 series lead, the basketball world knows this: Rick Carlisle isn’t just chasing a title—he’s writing a legacy.
If Game 1 is any indication, this Finals series will be remembered for decades.
