Tyrese Haliburton
Getty
Tyrese Haliburton during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks on May 25, 2025.
Rick Carlisle has witnessed Tyrese Haliburton’s rise as a star for the Indiana Pacers in real time. And the head coach had high remarks after the guard’s historic performance in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks on May 27.
In 38 minutes of action, Haliburton finished with a triple-double of 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, and four steals. He shot 11-of-23 from the field, including 5-of-12 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.
His performance proved to be crucial as the Pacers won 130-121 to take a 3-1 lead in the series. He also made NBA history with his triple-double, committing zero turnovers in the process.
Carlisle reflected on his star’s performance after the game, per ESPN. Considering how huge Haliburton’s feat was, he believes a new statistical category will come to fruition in honor of the star guard.
“There will be a new statistical category, perhaps, named after [Tyrese Haliburton] somewhere down the line. Him and Chris Paul, these guys, there aren’t a lot of guys. I know [John] Stockton didn’t turn it over much back when he played, LeBron James didn’t turn it over very much. You can go right down the line, some of the all-time greats. And so I know he takes great pride in it and that’s a motivating factor,” Carlisle said.
What’s Next for Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton
GettyTyrese Haliburton during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks on May 21, 2025.
It’s clear that Rick Carlisle is maximizing Tyrese Haliburton’s potential as a star player. And the Pacers are heavily benefitting from his growth with this year’s playoff run.
This postseason, Haliburton is averaging 19.4 points, 9.8 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 46.7% overall, including 33.6% from downtown, and 80% from the charity stripe.
In the four games he played against the Knicks, he is producing 24.3 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, and 2.5 steals per contest. He has shooting splits of 45.5% from the field, including 33.3% from downtown.
Haliburton has played a major role in the Pacers’ return to playoff contention. Besides the team’s proactive moves to strengthen their roster by acquiring Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin while drafting Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard, Haliburton also joined after the Sacramento Kings traded him to Indiana midway through the 2021-22 season.
Haliburton embraced the opportunity to have a stable situation with the Pacers and is now one win away from the 2025 NBA Finals. It would be the franchise’s first since 2000 as they hope to compete for their first-ever NBA title.
Up 3-1 in the series, Indiana must do a lot of things right to prevent the Knicks from coming back. On offense, they will require Haliburton, Siakam, Nembhard, and Myles Turner among others to deliver solid performances with scoring and playmaking. On defense, they must limit the production of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges. If successful, they will advance to the NBA Finals.
The Pacers will look to close out the series on the road when they face the Knicks in Game 5. The contest will take place on May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.