Tyrese Haliburton was all smiles tonight as he looked into the crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Following a resounding victory for the Indiana Pacers, the All-Star guard had a lot to say about his team's effort and the fight still left to come.
"I felt like I let the team down in Game 3, so it was important for me to come out here and just make plays. The guys put me in a position to make plays, and I'm just trying to play my game," said Haliburton. "It's a big win for us."
John Haliburton made his return to the Fieldhouse tonight after a short-lived suspension. He had been suspended over an incident with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he was back in action tonight, and it was enough to fuel one of the best games of Tyrese Haliburton's young career.
"I'm glad my Pops was in the building, it makes it that much sweeter. It had a little bit to do with it," said Hali after the win.
Fortunately, unlike in Game 3, when the Pacers gave up a double-digit lead to lose down the stretch, John got to watch his son's team extend their series lead to 3-1 over the most popular team in the NBA. If they win Game 5 on Thursday, the Pacers will make their first Finals appearance since 2000.
"I'm excited about it. It's gonna be a lot of fun, it's a tight environment to play in," said Haliburton. "We gotta be ready. It's one more game. Take what we can from this and get better at what we lacked tonight and be ready to go in Game 5."
After a lackluster effort on Sunday, Haliburton did everything he could to make things right. He led the Pacers to a 43-point first quarter, taking an early lead that they carried for the entire game. The young superstar made history as the first player to drop 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists with no turnovers in a playoff game.
It's no surprise that the Pacers controlled the pace for most of the game, and they had the Knicks completely hopeless looking for answers. As the fourth seed in the playoffs, nobody expected them to survive this far into the bracket, but they are doing more than that.
With Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, and Bennedict Mathurin, the Pacers have found an elite roster, and head coach Rick Carlisle has found a way to bring out the best in all the players. For the second straight year, they're in the East Finals, and now they are just one win away from the NBA Finals.
Still, until they secure that final victory, the Pacers cannot take it easy. Back in Madison Square Garden for Game 5, New York will have the energy from their fans to help power them to a win and extend the series. To get the job done early, the Pacers must deliver perfect execution while Tyrese Haliburton fulfills his role as their leader both on and off the court.
Even if/when they take care of business against the Knicks, Indiana will have to face steep competition in the Finals, either against the Thunder or the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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