Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Joins Elite Company in Playoff History
The Indiana Pacers made a statement in Game 1 of their playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, dominating with a 121-112 victory. According to a report by SI.com, multiple players contributed to the win, including Andrew Nembhard, who scored 23 points and had six assists, Pascal Siakam, who added 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, Aaron Nesmith, who chipped in with 17 points and eight rebounds, and Myles Turner, who recorded 13 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals.
However, it was point guard Tyrese Haliburton who stole the show, recording an impressive 22 points, 13 assists, three rebounds, three blocks, and one steal. As noted by SI.com, Haliburton’s performance was representative of his outstanding postseason play, which has seen him establish himself as one of the best point guards in the league.
In the playoffs, Haliburton has been averaging 18.3 points, 11.8 assists, 5.8 total rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 0.8 steals per game. His 11.8 assists per game currently lead the league in the playoffs. As SI.com reported, this impressive statistic has put Haliburton in line with some of the greatest point guards in NBA history.
Haliburton’s career playoff average of 9.2 assists per game puts him in elite company, alongside Magic Johnson, who averaged 12.3 assists per game, John Stockton, who averaged 10.1 assists per game, and John Wall, who averaged 9.8 assists per game. As SI.com noted, Haliburton’s impressive playoff statistics have led to him being mentioned in the same breath as these NBA legends.
Despite his impressive statistics, Haliburton has not always been recognised as an elite point guard. In an anonymous poll of NBA players by The Athletic, Haliburton was named the most overrated player in the NBA with 14.4 percent of the vote. Additionally, he was not named an NBA All-Star this season. However, as SI.com reported, others have stood up for Haliburton, including NBA legend Dwyane Wade.
“Wasn’t he No. 1 most overrated ranked by the players? When I looked at it I said this is what’s wrong with our game,” Wade said on his podcast The Timeout. “If he’s not someone who can score 30 [points per game], you don’t look at him as an All-Star. But this is a guy who, when you look at [the Pacers] and see how that team runs and how it goes, they go as he go.”
Haliburton’s regular season statistics with the Pacers are equally impressive, with the point guard averaging 19.7 points, 10.2 assists, 3.7 total rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game over his three full seasons with the team. As SI.com noted, Haliburton’s consistent play has been a key factor in the Pacers’ success, and his impressive playoff statistics have cemented his status as one of the best point guards in the league.
In conclusion, Tyrese Haliburton’s impressive playoff performance has put him in elite company, alongside some of the greatest point guards in NBA history. As SI.com reported, Haliburton’s consistent play has been a key factor in the Pacers’ success, and his impressive playoff statistics have cemented his status as one of the best point guards in the league. With his impressive career playoff average of 9.2 assists per game, Haliburton has joined the likes of Magic Johnson, John Stockton, and John Wall as one of the best point guards in playoff history.
The source material was provided by SI.com.
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