Tyrese Haliburton’s Historic Performance Leads Pacers to Brink of NBA Finals
The Indiana Pacers are on the verge of their second NBA Finals appearance, thanks in large part to a sensational performance from Tyrese Haliburton in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. As reported by the NBA’s official website, Haliburton notched 32 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds without a single turnover, leading his team to a 130-121 victory over the New York Knicks.
This remarkable display, according to the NBA, marked the second career postseason triple-double for Haliburton, and the first in NBA playoff history in which a player had at least 30 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds with no turnovers. As the NBA’s website noted, Haliburton’s impressive stats were all the more remarkable given that his father, John, was in attendance at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, having been forced to watch his son’s previous eight postseason games from afar.
The Pacers, as the NBA reported, have not lost consecutive games since March 10, and with this win, they now hold a 3-1 lead in the series. Game 5 is set to take place on Thursday in New York, and the Pacers will look to seal their spot in the NBA Finals. Pascal Siakam also had a strong game, adding 30 points to the Pacers’ tally, while Obi Toppin’s 3-pointer with 46 seconds left sealed the win.
The Knicks, on the other hand, were led by Jalen Brunson’s 31 points, but were unable to overcome another double-digit deficit. Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and OG Anunoby finished with 22 points, but it was not enough to secure a win. As the NBA’s website noted, this marked the first time in the series that the home team had emerged victorious.
The crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse was electric, with nearly a dozen former Pacers players, including Jermaine O’Neal and Lance Stephenson, in attendance, along with WWE Hall of Famer Triple H, rappers Rob 49 and 50 Cent, and singers John Mellencamp and Jelly Roll. As the NBA reported, John Haliburton had been forced to watch his son’s previous eight postseason games from afar, but was able to return for Game 4 and sat in a suite.
"I’m glad Pop’s in the building," Haliburton said in his postgame interview, as quoted by the NBA’s website. "It makes it that much more sweet." The Knicks had their own fan section, featuring film director Spike Lee and actors Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller, but it was the Pacers who ultimately emerged victorious.
The game itself was an entertaining one, with both teams shooting at a clip of 70% long into the first quarter. The Pacers raced to a 43-35 lead, but the Knicks stormed back in the second quarter, reclaiming the lead three times, the last at 64-63. However, Haliburton helped Indiana close the half on a 6-0 run, and the Pacers then opened the second half with an aggressive style that spurred a 9-2 run and closed the quarter on a 9-4 spurt to extend the margin to 102-91.
As the NBA’s website reported, the Knicks got as close as six points three times in the closing minutes, but Towns limped to the bench after hurting his left knee with 2:11 to play and finished the game. Despite this, the Pacers were able to hold on for the win, and will now look to seal their spot in the NBA Finals with a win in Game 5.
