The Indiana Pacers have been on a heater throughout the playoffs, as the team is fighting for a title against the Oklahoma City Thunder right now. Point guard Tyrese Haliburton has emerged as a true superstar, and on Tuesday, he gave all of the credit to head coach Rick Carlisle.
While talking with media members after practice, Haliburton claims that Carlisle's coaching took his game to “another level.” The 25-year-old point guard credits Carlisle for believing in him and giving him the confidence to play at the highest level.
“When he gave me that nod, that was the ultimate respect… For him to give me that confidence, I think, has really taken my career to another level… Our relationship is going to continue to grow.”
“When he gave me that nod, that was the ultimate respect… For him to give me that confidence, I think has really taken my career to another level… Our relationship is going to continue to grow.”
Tyrese Haliburton on Rick Carlisle 🗣️🙌
(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/yt03L8ddco
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 10, 2025
Expand Tweet
Article Continues Below
Tyrese Haliburton has been arguably the most clutch player in the league throughout the postseason. We've seen him lead the Pacers to multiple late-game comebacks while hitting amazing buzzer-beaters to either tie or win the game. His emergence very well could be credited to Rick Carlisle, who has been a great head coach throughout his career in the NBA.
The two-time All-Star is leading the way for the Pacers in this year's playoffs, even though teammate Pascal Siakam won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP Award. Tyrese Haliburton has averaged 18.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 9.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 46.9% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc through 18 games played throughout the postseason.
Tyrese Haliburton will have a chance to improve upon those numbers when the Pacers take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Game 3 tips off on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. EST. It's the first contest of the seven-game series in Indiana. So, Haliburton and his teammates will have the opportunity to compete in front of the home crowd in this one.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Benedetto Vitale has nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, with expertise in covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and UFC. The Oregon alumni resides in Corvallis, Oregon, and has previous bylines at BroBible and Athlon Sports.