Tyrese Haliburton did all he could for the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. The All-Star point guard went off for a dazzling 16-point, 18-assist double-double, which, as it turns out, still wasn't enough.
Haliburton and the Pacers have LeBron James to blame for that as the NBA's all-time leading scorer won it for the Lakers at the buzzer via a last-second tip-in off of Luka Doncic's missed attempt.
James entered the fourth quarter with just three points amid an off shooting night, but he made up for it in the final frame by scoring 10 points in the final 12 minutes of action. The 40-year-old also sealed the deal for L.A. with another memorable game-winner.
LBJ CALLS GAME IN INDY#LakeShowpic.twitter.com/3g8QSKYqaQ
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 27, 2025
James' heroics drew an honest reaction from Haliburton, who revealed that this was the first time in his NBA career that he had lost in such fashion.
"It's my first time ever being walked off in the NBA, so it's only fitting that it was him," Haliburton said.
"... It's just part of the fun and the back-and-forth in the NBA. [I] enjoy competing against those guys. Yeah, it's a lot of fun."
"It's my first time ever being walked off in the NBA... fitting that it's him."
Respect from @TyHaliburton22 after an epic battle with @KingJames and the Lakers! pic.twitter.com/zW4TXTNERc
— NBA (@NBA) March 27, 2025
It was an undeniably painful loss for Haliburton and the Pacers, especially after he turned in such an incredible performance. However, his honest reaction here just goes to show how much this man exudes sportsmanship and class after such a heartbreaking defeat.
Wednesday's brutal loss put an end to Indiana's five-game winning streak. They have fallen to 42-30 but are still 1.5 games ahead of the Detroit Pistons for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
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This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 12:33 AM.