Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers are back in the Eastern Conference Finals this year, playing against the New York Knicks. For some, this was a shocking omission, considering their poor start in the regular season and their laid-back run towards the end of the 82-game stretch.
One of those who was surprised about how the Pacers’ season turned out was Haliburton, who has carried the team through difficulties and in another deep playoff run. During an interview with ESPN with the Pacers star in 2024, Haliburton, opened up about dealing with external pressure during the regular season.
“I’m terrible. How the f— can I talk?” Haliburton said, during his Team USA stint with the 2024 Paris Olympics
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His regression, Haliburton said, caused him to overthink the talks around his game, which he deemed untypical of him as a player.
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"It got to the point where all that conversation was weighing on me in a negative way for the first time in my life, which was weird. I have been somebody who seeks out that external negativity, and now it's weighing on me?"
Haliburton said he has since recovered from such hardships and is now closing in on an NBA Finals appearance with the same Pacers franchise that have built a solid supporting cast around him.
Haliburton drained the game-tying jumper in Game 1 of the East Finals in New York, forcing overtime and stealing the series opener from the home team, whose squad led by as much as nine points in the final minute.
He is expected to remain the Pacers’ go-to guy as they look to overcome the Knicks to enter the finals for the first time since 2000.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle puts his whole trust in Tyrese Haliburton
With the way the Pacers are playing during the playoffs, Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle feels that Tyrese Haliburton has earned the right to do whatever he wants on the court, especially for the greater good of the team.
This comes after he pulled the choke taunt on the Knicks after his stunning game-tying jumper in Game 1.
"At this time of year, you want to go into the most hostile, the most difficult environments and test your mettle. Go against Brunson, KAT, Bridges, these guys. ... It's not a big deal to me. Tyrese has earned the right to do whatever he wants,” Carlisle said, referring to Haliburton’s gesture.
Carlisle was a former champion coach, steering the Dallas Mavericks, led by unlikely superstar Dirk Nowitzki, to the 2011 NBA title. He looks to do the same with the Pacers alongside Haliburton.
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