Stephen A. Smith fires back at Tyrese Haliburton after Pacers star’s comments seemingly aimed at him

After Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers’ Game 3 win on Wednesday, the two-time All-Star was asked about some of the discourse surrounding his somewhat lackluster Game 2 performance, and now, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is firing back.

Game 2 saw the young star uncharacteristically turn the ball over five times. Add on to that the fact that he dished out six assists, a figure lower than his regular-season average of 9.2 per game, and there was some criticism about his play despite the fact that he impressed defensively with two steals and two blocks.

In response to a question about some of the discussions that have taken place regarding how he played in Game 3, Haliburton seemingly took aim at Smith and the rest of sports media.

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On Thursday, Smith fired back on First Take:

"You see how slick these dudes get? They try to point to the media. No! It's your colleagues, it's your contemporaries, present and former, who were questioning you

"Just in case he was talking about me...players far more accomplished and far more superior have made their efforts trying to call me out. How has that worked out?"

So far, Tyrese Haliburton has yet to respond.

"What do they really know about basketball?" - Looking at Tyrese Haliburton's post-game comments following Game 3 win in Indiana

Following Indiana's Game 2 loss to the OKC Thunder, Tyrese Haliburton was open about the fact that he needs to do a better job taking care of the ball. While he's traditionally been hailed as a top-notch facilitator, the stakes couldn't be higher as he and the Pacers look to win an NBA title.

Between the overwhelmingly positive play he's contributed to Indiana this postseason, and the fact that he's been open about finding ways to be better, many gave the young star a pass.

Analysts, however, were a bit less forgiving.

As he explained to members of the press after the team's Game 3 win on Wednesday:

“I think the commentary is always going to be what it is. Most of the time, the talking heads on the major platforms. I couldn’t care less, honestly. Like what do they really know about basketball?”

With the team turning out an impressive first-half scoring output in Game 3 like coach Rick Carlisle wanted, and the fact that it is currently up 2-1 against the best team in the West, it appears as though an off-game from Haliburton hasn't held them back.

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About the author

Evan Bell

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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