The Indiana Pacers won a stunning Game 2 in New York against the Knicks, officially taking a 2-0 series lead heading back to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4. Tyrese Haliburton was at the center of the Pacers victory, joining LeBron James and Clyde Drexler in a rarely seen feat.
The Pacers could not have won without the consistent play of Haliburton in both Games 1 and 2, especially as far as taking care of the basketball goes.
Tyrese Haliburton joins LeBron James, Clyde Drexler in rare history
Tyrese Haliburton finished Game 2 against the Knicks with 14 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, and just one turnover. This after the Pacers point guard recorded a team-high 31 points to go along with his 11 assists and just two turnovers in Game 1.
Throughout his career, Haliburton has boasted a high assist to turnover ratio, taking care of the basketball and while taking on massive ball-handling and distributing duties for his Pacers.
With his first two games in the Eastern Conference Finals this postseason, Haliburton recorded 45 points, 22 assists, and just three turnovers, joining LeBron James and Clyde Drexler as the only two players in NBA history to record those two-game spans in an NBA Conference Finals.
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Players with 45+ points, 20+ assists, and 3 or fewer turnovers in a 2-game span in an NBA Conference Finals:
– LeBron James
– Clyde Drexler
– And now Tyrese Haliburton pic.twitter.com/wagOtmaftf
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) May 24, 2025
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If you add in the NBA Finals, Magic Johnson is the only player to have done it in the championship round.
This is nothing new for Haliburton, who averaged 9.2 assists and just 1.6 turnovers per game this season. According to Stathead, Haliburton is the only player to total 670 assists in a single with 120 or fewer turnovers.
Game 3 between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks, which now shifts to Indianapolis, is scheduled for Sunday night at 8PM EST on TNT.