The Indiana Pacers have been proving doubters wrong all season, and now even ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt is admitting he underestimated them. After their stunning Game 1 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals, Van Pelt publicly acknowledged that he was late to the party when it came to believing in the Pacers. His honesty earned him praise from Tyrese Haliburton, who appreciated the rare admission from a sports analyst.
During his segment on SportsCenter, Van Pelt openly admitted that he had doubted the Pacers throughout the season.
“The other night on my show, I put my hand up and I said, look, I was late to the party on it,” Van Pelt said.
Haliburton, who has been the driving force behind Indiana’s playoff success, took notice of Van Pelt’s remarks and responded with appreciation.
“Yeah, you’re a real one for that. You’re a real one, but a lot of your counterparts won’t admit that now,” Haliburton said.
Scott Van Pelt: “The other night on the show, I put my hand up and I said, ‘Look, I was late to the party on [the Pacers].”
Tyrese Haliburton: “Yeah, you’re a real one for that. I heard that. A lot of your counterparts wouldn’t admit that now.” 🤝pic.twitter.com/CGEe9VhVV1
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 6, 2025
Indiana’s Game 1 victory was yet another example of their unreal comeback qualities. Despite trailing by 15 points in the fourth quarter, the Pacers stormed back, with Haliburton delivering the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left.
Van Pelt acknowledged that he had written off the Pacers earlier in the season, especially when they were under .500 around Christmas. But Haliburton responded with humility, saying,
“Yeah, we were rough… We were late to the party, too.”
With the Pacers leading the series 1-0, they have once again forced the basketball world to take notice. As they prepare for Game 2, Haliburton and his teammates will continue to embrace their underdog status—while making sure that more analysts, like Van Pelt, come around to believing in them.
