Tyrese Haliburton clutch shots timeline: Buzzer-beaters and game-winners that made Pacers star an NBA closer

The NBA introduced the Clutch Player of the Year award for the 2022-23 season, and it may only be a matter of time until Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton wins it.

Haliburton already put himself in the ranks of the NBA's best ball-handlers as the Pacers' do-it-all point guard, but he's quickly developing his reputation as one of the game's most clutch shot-makers. The All-Star is ridiculously efficient in clutch moments, and that makes Indiana one of the most dangerous teams in the East.

Haliburton's heroism isn't just limited to the regular season. In fact, he seems to rise to the occasion in the playoffs. 

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Here's a look at Haliburton's timeline of game-winning shots, including a playoff series-clincher. 

Tyrese Haliburton game-winners timeline

May 6, 2025 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Haliburton drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds on the clock to defeat the Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Pacers' second round series. 

— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 7, 2025

Cleveland had led since the early minutes of the first quarter and entered the fourth quarter ahead by 14, but Indiana battled back and put itself in position to potentially steal a second game on the road against a shorthanded team.

Haliburton was able to get his own rebound off a missed free throw, took time to settle down and put up the game-winner to move the Pacers closer to a return to the Eastern Conference Finals.

April 29, 2025 vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Haliburton helped the Pacers complete a seven-point comeback in less than a minute with a go-ahead layup in Game 5 of the Pacers' first round series.

It was Haliburton's and-one opportunity that brought Indiana back within one possession seconds earlier, and he drove in for the game-winning layup with just over a second on the clock to give Indiana a series win over Milwaukee for the second consecutive year. 

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 30, 2025

The game-winner was the final blow in a brutal collapse by the Bucks, who led 118-111 with possession of the ball with 40 seconds remaining. 

MORE: Haliburton spearheads stunning OT comeback, ending Milwaukee's season

March 11, 2025 vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Haliburton's playoff game-winner was just the latest dagger in the heart of the Bucks, coming less than two months after the All-Star stunned Milwaukee with three seconds remaining in a regular season contest.

Trailing by three, Haliburton drilled a shot from beyond the arc and drew a foul, giving himself a chance for a four-point play to put Indiana up by one. Haliburton's free throw was good, and the Pacers held on for a thrilling victory.

The Pacers only finished two games ahead of the Bucks in the East, and this game represented a two-game swing — a Bucks win would have put Milwaukee two games ahead of Indiana. Instead, the two teams finished the night even at 36-28. 

March 5, 2023 vs. Chicago Bulls

Before he became a playoff hero, Haliburton flashed his clutch gene with a go-ahead 3-pointer to sink the Bulls in March 2023. 

The Pacers star pulled up from long range with the game tied at 122 and drilled it, putting Indiana in front by three with 2.7 seconds left and quieting the Chicago crowd.

Haliburton finished the night with 29 points on 11-of-17 from the field, including a stellar 6-of-9 performance from beyond the arc. The win pulled the Pacers even with the Bulls in the standings at 29-36. 

MORE: Why Pacers indefinitely banned Tyrese Haliburton's dad from games

Dec. 23, 2022 vs. Miami Heat

Haliburton silenced the Miami crowd with a go-ahead 3-pointer to defeat the Heat in December 2022.

One of his earliest signature moments with the Pacers, Haliburton flashed the confidence that made him a star by shaking off defenders and putting up a shot from a few feet past the 3-point line. Indiana held on for the win, giving fans of the rebuilding franchise a window into what the next few years would look like.

The performance remains of the best of Haliburton's career, as he racked up 43 points on 14-of-20 shooting, including 10-of-16 from 3-point range. Haliburton's 43 points were a career-high at the time, but he topped it with 44 — also against the Heat — a year later.

Other notable clutch moments

Haliburton's clutch shots aren't just limited to game-winners. He is 10-for-11 on shot attempts to either tie or take the lead during the 2024-25 season alone. That includes go-ahead shots against the Jazz and Kings in addition to the game-winners against the Bucks and Cavaliers. 

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 7, 2025

Haliburton flashed his clutch gene before the 2025 playoff run, too. In 2024, the Pacers looked like they might go down 3-0 in their second round series against the Knicks before Haliburton cut the deficit to four with a layup, stole the ball, and went up again to cut Indiana's deficit to two in the middle of the fourth quarter.

While not in the final two minutes, Haliburton steered momentum back toward the Pacers just when it looked like New York had a chance to pull away. Indiana would win the series in seven games.

For an encore, Haliburton capped a wild Pacers' comeback in Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals with a stepback buzzer-beater to tie the game. Haliburton was mere inches away from hitting a game-winning three, but he had to settle for the tie and eventual win in overtime.

WHAT A SHOT BY TYRESE HALIBURTON 🤯🤯🤯 https://t.co/8wEwdkeRwZ pic.twitter.com/s497GwRWi9

— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2025

Tyrese Haliburton clutch shot stats 

Haliburton finished the 2024-25 regular season tied for 12th among qualified players with 3.1 clutch points per game.

The stat only includes games in which clutch situations occurred; the NBA defines clutch time as "the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points." He shot 47.1 percent in those situations, almost exactly in line with his regular season mark. 

In 2023-24, Haliburton was even more productive in those moments, averaging 3.4 clutch points per game on 52.6 percent shooting.