Tyrese Haliburton
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers reacts during the third quarter against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The pressure may be on the Indiana Pacers after they blew a chance to qualify for the NBA Finals. But superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton isn’t feeling the heat.
Haliburton gave his team a pass, calling the Pacers’ effort flat in their 111-94 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden that cut their advantage in the Eastern Conference Finals to 3-2.
It was the worst game Indiana played in the series, since it did not lead for a second Thursday night. The Pacers were also held to fewer than 100 points for the first time in the NBA playoffs.
“It’s one game,” Haliburton said. “I think their crowd is excited, as they should be. … I don’t there’s any need to panic.”
But Haliburton, who authored a historic triple-double in Game 4, believes the Pacers will take care of business when they go back to Indiana for Game 6, which is Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“Now it’s on us to respond,” Haliburton said. “When you get at this point, there’s no such thing as surprises. … Kudos to them. They played better.”
Why Did Tyrese Haliburton Think The Pacers Were Flat?
Haliburton and the Pacers struggled to get to their typical offensive pace in Game 5. Indiana scored just 45 first-half points, and Haliburton himself scored his fewest points of the postseason (8) while shooting just 2 for 7 from the field.
“Rough night for me. I’ve got to be better setting the tone, getting downhill. I didn’t do a great job with that,” Haliburton said after the game. “I think our pace has to be better, and that starts with me. I’ve got to be better there.”
Indiana coach Rick Carlisle echoed Haliburton’s sentiments and stated that the Pacers played like a team lacking a sense of urgency.
“We obviously didn’t play with the level of force that we needed to,” Carlisle said. “To start the game, we didn’t have the right level of force, the right level of attitude in this environment. It was a bad start; we never had a lead in the game. There was a multitude of things that were going wrong.”
Still, Haliburton cited Indiana’s success after losses, especially in the postseason. The Pacers haven’t lost two straight games all playoffs and are averaging about 129.3 points per game after losses in the playoffs.
“We’re a resilient group,” Haliburton said. “We always want to respond when things don’t go well. We understand what the stakes are, but we’re fine. There’s no need to panic or anything.
“There’s definitely room to improve, and the great thing about our group and our staff is addicted to figuring out where we can get better.”
Where Is Game 6 of the Pacers vs Knicks Series?
The Knicks-Pacers Eastern Conference Finals series will head back to Indiana for Game 6. Haliburton is confidence in the Pacers, and their fans, returning to the friendly confines of Indianapolis.
“I have the utmost confidence in myself and our group to play to our ability in Game 6,” Haliburton said. “We get another game to go back at home and attack these guys and get better. I look forward to Game 6, and we’ll be prepared.”