The Indiana Pacers outlasted the New York Knicks 130-121 on Tuesday night to take a commanding 3-1 series lead heading into Game 5, which will be played Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
Indiana was led by star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who delivered a masterful performance to help carry his team to victory. He finished with a game-high 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, four steals, and—remarkably—zero turnovers in 37 minutes of action.
Haliburton made NBA history in the process, becoming the first player ever to record 30-plus points, 15-plus assists, and 10-plus rebounds with zero turnovers in a playoff game.
The performance drew immediate praise from one of the greatest point guards of all time—Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, who had a strong reaction to Haliburton's historic night.
"Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton made NBA history tonight becoming the first player with a triple double and no turnovers scoring 32 points, 15 assists, and 13 rebounds," Johnson said. "Indiana forward Pascal Siakam chipped in 30 points in the Pacers 130-121 win over the Knicks. The key to the Pacers victory is that they played fast all night long and wore Knicks down."
Through four games against the Knicks, Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 assists, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.5 steals, while posting an impressive true shooting percentage of 57.7%.
Haliburton hasn’t done it alone, though. While Indiana has found contributions from key role players like Myles Turner, Aaron Nesmith, and others, Pascal Siakam has been outstanding in this series as well. The veteran forward is averaging a team-high 25.8 points, along with 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
They've continued to thrive under pressure and now they're just one win away from reaching the NBA Finals—something the Pacers haven’t accomplished since 2000.