Tyrese Haliburton’s lights-out performance in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals. Under his leadership, the Indiana Pacers almost pulled off the upset of the century against the LeBron-led Cleveland Cavaliers. Haliburton added 19 points, including a clutch fourth-quarter three-pointer, and dropped four assists. His late-game execution would be crucial as he hit a game-winning three-pointer with just 1.1 seconds remaining.
The Pacers were down going into the fourth quarter, but took control of the game with Haliburton’s fireworks in the fourth quarter. He counted for 11 of his 19 points in that fourth quarter, demonstrating his knack for delivering when the chips are down. The game turned on a tremendous play by Tyrese Haliburton, who rebounded his own missed free throw with 12.1 seconds remaining. When he took a dribble outside of the three-point arc, it looked natural. Then he swished a jumper over Ty Jerome, putting the dagger into the stunned home fans.
Myles Turner, Haliburton’s teammate, said he was blown away by the young guard’s knack for rising to the moment. “Tyrese enjoys moments like these,” Turner stated. With that performance, Haliburton joined an elite list of players. He’s now just the second player since the play-by-play era began in 1997-98 to make multiple go-ahead field goals in the final two seconds of a single postseason.
When Haliburton came to the free throw line in the fourth quarter, the Cavs’ home crowd greeted him with chants of “Trade him.” They booed and chanted “overrated,” ridiculing him after he was chosen as the league’s most overrated superstar. He remained unfazed by the jeers.
“That came out of nowhere, but now that label is there, that’s going to be, every time we play on the road. It’ll probably follow me until the next poll comes out and then we’ll see if I’m number one again.” – Tyrese Haliburton
In his first matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, Haliburton confirmed his reputation as a late-game hero. He sealed the win with an acrobatic layup over two defenders in the last seconds. His consistency and resilience have turned them from a pair of supporting descriptors into core characteristics as he pilots the Pacers through this hotly competitive East postseason.
That was the attitude Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell took after his team’s disappointing Game 7 loss, a defeat that knocked the Cavaliers out of the playoffs. “We can sit here and dwell on this and be home in about four or five days or we can move on,” Mitchell said. He stressed the importance for his squad to flush the errors, re-tool for next week’s opponent, and move forward.
“And take some things that we did really well and go from there. I have no doubt everybody in the locker room is ready for Friday. It sucks. It stings. But we got to go out there and take care of business, but I believe in everybody in that locker room. We believe in each other. We’ll figure it out.” – Donovan Mitchell
Haliburton’s recent highlights illustrate his growing impact on and off the court for the Pacers. That’s because he’s spent almost the last two years establishing deep emotional bonds with his teammates. His ability to remain calm and collected under pressure has not only won games but garnered respect from peers and fans alike.
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