Tyrese Haliburton has quieted his critics while leading the Indiana Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals, and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is taking notice.
Haliburton closed the door on the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round, scoring 31 points in a deciding Game 5 to send the Pacers to the conference finals. They await a matchup with the Knicks, who put away the Boston Celtics in a six-game series.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Brunson said that Haliburton is the "engine" of the Pacers and the Knicks won't be taking the matchup lightly.
“Great player. He’s done a lot and quieted a lot of people,” Brunson said, via SNY. “He’s obviously their engine. They go as he goes and he does a lot for their team, so it’s going to be a tough task."
Haliburton has been busy proving his doubters wrong this postseason. After he was voted the most overrated player in the NBA by fellow players, Haliburton shot back in a message after his team eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.
Tyrese Haliburton Pacers
Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
"Overrate THAT," he shared in a post on X.
Brunson said the Knicks will have the play strong team basketball in order to beat Haliburton's Pacers and move to the NBA Finals for the first time in 26 years.
"But I think as a team we need to stick together and do what we do and control what we can control," Brunson said. "I’m happy, obviously, for his success, but this is a new challenge for us.”