Tyrese Haliburton Says 'It's Gotta Be The Shoes' After Game-Winner in NBA Finals G1

Tyrese Haliburton couldn't have picked a bigger stage to break out his new signature shoe.

After the Indiana Pacers guard continued his postseason ascension with the winning shot in Thursday's 111-110 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he took to social media and suggested his footwear played a role in his heroics:

While Haliburton gave a nod to the iconic tagline "It's gotta be the shoes" from old Air Jordan commercials, it was a fitting comment considering Puma unveiled his "Hali 1" signature shoe ahead of Thursday's contest.

Puma also released an "Overrate That" shirt and Haliburton's All-Pro NITRO in Pinstripes and Gold Rush colorways as part of the collection.

Whether it is the shoes or something else, Haliburton has entered a new level of superstardom this playoffs and has the Pacers just three wins away from their first NBA championship in franchise history.

He has done so with a flair for the dramatic thanks to a series-winning shot against the Milwaukee Bucks, a winning three-pointer in Game 2 of the second-round victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, a game-tying shot in the final second of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals win over the New York Knicks and Thursday's moment.

Despite trailing all game, Indiana had the ball with an opportunity to steal a game on the road against the Thunder.

Unsurprisingly, it was Haliburton who took the shot as he calmly drained the mid-range jumper that propelled Indiana to a 1-0 advantage in the series. Oklahoma City's desperation lob on the other end didn't lead to a shot attempt, and the Pacers suddenly didn't look like massive underdogs in this series.

Maybe there is something with the shoes, after all.