Tyrese Haliburton dominant en route to 3-1 series lead

Many expected the Indiana Pacers to fold after the New York Knicks finally showed life and won Game 3 of the teams’ Eastern Conference Finals series. However, conceding their first game of the series did nothing to curb the Pacers’ belief in themselves, and star point guard Tyrese Haliburton would not be denied in Tuesday night’s Game 4.

Haliburton posted a triple-double with a stat line of 32 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds, all without committing a single turnover, leading the Pacers to a comfortable 130-121 victory in front of their home fans.

The feat made Haliburton the first player in playoff history to score at least 30 points, 15 assists, and 10 boards without committing a single turnover since turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78, per ESPN Research.

“I was just trying to be aggressive,” Haliburton said of his performance. “Just trying to play my best. I felt like I let the team down in Game 3. I could have been so much better. I felt like I responded the right way today.”

Haliburton also spoke about the importance of winning going back to New York with a two-game lead in the series.

“I just want to be able to prove that I can respond when my back’s against the wall, when our team’s back is against the wall,” he said. “This is a big win for us because if we go back down there 2-2, it’s a little different momentum-wise.”

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle also noted how impressive Haliburton’s level of play is at the moment.

“It’s pretty remarkable, but this has become his thing,” Carlisle said. “There will be a new statistical category, perhaps, named after him somewhere down the line.

“Him and Chris Paul, these guys, there aren’t a lot of guys. I know [John] Stockton didn’t turn it over much back when he played. LeBron James didn’t turn it over very much. You can go right down the line, some of the all-time greats. And so I know he takes great pride in it, and that’s a motivating factor.”