Tyrese Haliburton did not have to wait too long to reach the NBA Finals, getting there in his fifth season in the league. It's been quite a memorable run to the Finals as well for his Indiana Pacers, with a few stunning comebacks sprinkled in between some dominant performances.
Haliburton has been the driving force for these Pacers, averaging 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game in this postseason. He'll now face his toughest challenge yet, though, in the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder were the best team in the NBA in the regular season with a 68-14 record and have been highly impressive this postseason.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton during NBA Finals Media Day at Paycom Center.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton during NBA Finals Media Day at Paycom Center.
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The Thunder dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals, brushing them aside in five games. They made quite the statement there and are firm favorites in this series on paper.
The games aren't played on paper, though, and Haliburton can perhaps take inspiration from one of his fondest memories watching basketball. When asked to name his favorite NBA Finals memory, the two-time All-Star went with the Cleveland Cavaliers' comeback from down 3-1 against the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
"3-1 comeback, Cavs 2016," Haliburton said, via the NBA.
Haliburton, a fan of LeBron James growing up, was confident the Cavaliers would win Game 6 in Cleveland after they won Game 5 in Oakland. He admitted to being nervous about Game 7, but they managed to get over the line.
The Cavaliers won 93-89 to complete what is widely regarded as the greatest comeback in NBA history. No team had ever overturned a 3-1 deficit and won in the Finals, and they did it against a Warriors outfit that had gone 73-9 in the regular season.
Haliburton would be hoping the Pacers can pull off the upset like the Cavaliers did. Game 1 will be played at Paycom Center on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET.