The Indiana Pacers trailed by double digits for much of Tuesday night’s Game 2 matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were already shorthanded without key players like Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and De’Andre Hunter.
Still, Donovan Mitchell—along with sharpshooters Sam Merrill and Max Strus—carried the Cavaliers and had them poised for what appeared to be a clear and convincing win to even the series at 1–1.
But as the Pacers have shown throughout this postseason, letting them hang around is a dangerous game. And in the final seconds, that resilience paid off.
After cutting the deficit to just two points, Tyrese Haliburton missed a free throw, grabbed his own rebound, and drilled a game-winning three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to give Indiana a stunning 120–119 victory—stealing both games on the road and taking a 2–0 series lead.
The clutch moment sparked an immediate one-word reaction from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who summed up what everyone was thinking in the aftermath of Haliburton’s heroics.
“Wow,” Mahomes posted with some laughing emojis.
Patrick Mahomes is a well-known basketball fan. Though he’s from Texas and played college football at Texas Tech, he’s typically shown support for the Dallas Mavericks. However, with the Mavericks absent from this year’s playoffs, Mahomes has been actively following and commenting on the NBA postseason, weighing in on the drama and standout moments.
Kansas City Chiefs player and Texas Tech Red Raiders alumni Patrick Mahomes II reacts to a call in the second half in the game against the Houston Cougars at United Supermarkets Arena.
Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images
Now, the Indiana Pacers—who reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season—are just two wins away from doing it again.
Despite Donovan Mitchell’s remarkable, game-high 48-point performance, it was Tyrese Haliburton who delivered when it mattered most. He finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, as the series now shifts to Indiana for the next two games.
