Pacers’ Unbelievable Late-Game Magic: What’s the Secret Behind Their Stunning Comebacks?

Here’s a thing about these 2025 Indiana Pacers: time is never their enemy. Down by seven points with just 40 seconds left in overtime, facing elimination against the Bucks? They didn’t just survive — they thrived. Fast forward to a similar deficit less than a minute from the fourth-quarter buzzer in Cleveland, the Pacers showed the same steely nerve. And now here we are at Madison Square Garden, trailing by 14 with under three minutes left in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals — and guess what? Still no sweat.

It’s the kind of tenacity that defies logic and drains the confidence from their opponents. Night after night, they orchestrate jaw-dropping reversals, relentless comebacks that force the very arenas they invade to question what just unfolded. This isn’t luck; it’s a ruthless combination of grit, focus, and unshakable belief, embodied by the likes of Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith—the very players who seem to channel a performance-level beyond the ordinary when the stakes skyrocket. By rewriting the narrative of what’s possible in clutch moments, the Pacers are not just playing — they’re shaping a legacy of resilience and heartbreak for every team that dares to lead them.

LEARN MOREAdvertisement“I think maybe you could say that,” Haliburton said. “They missed a couple of free throws there down the stretch. Had a couple of short misses down the end of the game … I think it’s hard for me to discredit, and say that the ‘wear-down effect’ wasn’t there, you know? I think from everything that you’re seeing, that’s a part of it, and I think that’s a part of our identity — how can we wear on teams for 48 minutes? Obviously, picking up full court, but as well as our offensive pressure, getting downhill, moving, playing fast, I thought that we did a good job offensively of playing our style.”What he was doing in the moment was becoming the first player in NBA history to hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

What he was doing in the moment was becoming the first player in NBA history to hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

What he was doing in the moment was becoming the first player in NBA history to hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

What he was doing in the moment was becoming the first player in NBA history to hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

What he was doing in the moment was becoming the first player in NBA history to hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

What he was doing in the moment was becoming the first player in NBA history to hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

What he was doing in the moment was becoming the first player in NBA history to hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

What he was doing in the moment was becoming the first player in NBA history to hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

What he was doing in the moment was becoming the first player in NBA history to hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

What he was doing in the moment was becoming the first player in NBA history to hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

Advertisement“And then it bounced up — straight up — and I just watched it,” Nesmith said. “And I was, like, ‘Oh, that’s good.’”