When the Indiana Pacers followed the 9 -point Oklahoma City Thunder with 2 minutes and 52 seconds to play in match 1 of the NBA final, ESPN victory probability model gave the Pacers that a chance to earn 3.6% to win.
Not only did the pacers overcome this deficit To win 111-110 and take an advance of 1-0 in the seriesIt was not even the most improbable return of Indiana to this series.
The Pacers became the masters of victory at the head of the qualifying series in 2025, achieving at least one miracle each turn.
In match 5 of the Conference quarter -finals, Indiana overcome a 7 -point deficit against the Milwaukee Bucks in the last 39 seconds of extension – when the Pacers’ chances were only 2.1% – and won 119-118.
In match 2 of the conference semi-finals, Indiana was only 4.1% likely to win when it followed the Cleveland horsemen of 7 with 57.1 seconds to go, but the Pacers finally won 120-119.
And in the first match of the conference final, Indiana has managed a Building before before Against the New York Knicks, moving from 14 points down with 2 minutes and 51 seconds to the fourth quarter before winning 138-135 in overtime – whose chances were 0.3%.
Although even winning one of these games was a highly improbable task for the Pacers, winning the four was extremely unlikely.
How exactly, exactly? Well, you would have a better chance of being struck by lightning, to start.
Here’s how the four largest returns from Pacers accumulate against other rare events.
