Following a massive Game 3 win in the Finals, Tyrese Haliburton was quite critical of the media for being box score watchers. He seemed fed up with being called overrated and let his doubters know that he could hear them. It was a bit surprising considering how early in the series we still are, and Hali heard some criticism for his comments.
Advertisement
Most notably, Stephen A. Smith came out and denounced Haliburton for his sensitivity. He was shocked and confused why the star guard would be so harsh. For the longest time, Stephen A. and other analysts have supported him as an amazing player.
Well, life comes at you quickly, as Haliburton and the Pacers blew Game 4 down the stretch as we head back to Oklahoma City tied at 2. Now, the Thunder undoubtedly hold the edge with home-court advantage over the next 3 games. And Kendrick Perkins thinks that Hali needs to understand that watching his box score is justifiable at this point.
“Tyrese Haliburton, he talked about calling the media and fans box-score watchers, and I think, yeah, we’re going to watch the box score in Game 5. We need to see what you do,” Perkins said on SportsCenter.
The former Oklahoma City big man then added that Hali needs to have a legendary moment in Game 5. Similar to what he did in Game 1.
“He’s been playing some consistent, good basketball over the past two games. But he has to have a moment. And I’m not talking about 20 points. I’m talking about he needs to go on the road and he needs to show up and show out and have a legendary moment and carry his team,” he added.
Pacers fans would certainly love to see Haliburton rise to the occasion in Game 5. It’s usually the most pivotal game in the series. And after putting up 14 and 17 points in the first two games on the road, he needs to make a bigger impact to give Indiana a chance.
After all, we know what Pascal Siakam brings. His veteran leadership has oozed throughout the series.
“Pascal Siakam, we know what he’s going to do, right? He’s an NBA champion. He’s been there before, he’s been there consistently, he’s been consistently their best player in this postseason on the offensive end,” Perkins said.
Perk also criticized players like Myles Turner, claiming that they also have to show up. “Myles Turner, he’s gotta show up. He was practically a no-show in Game 4 for them,” he added.
Turner only had 12 points in Game 4 with zero steals and blocks. He also missed all six of his three-point attempts. When he’s stretching the court, the Pacers become very tough to beat. But when Turner is off, it’s not a sight to behold.
Furthermore, while the role players struggled to make an impact for Indiana, Perkins thinks it’s on the superstars to ultimately come through on the road.
“Yes, your role players, TJ McConnell, they have to play, they have to be stars in their roles. But on the road, your superstars, your franchise guys, is the ones that gotta take you home.”
Both McConnell and Benedict Mathurin failed to make as big a difference as they did in Game 3. The former had zero steals after having 5 the previous game, and the latter had 8 points after dropping 27. Mathurin also missed some crucial free throws in the closing stretch of the game.
All in all, Perkins is definitely correct that Haliburton needs to rise to the challenge and have a better game on the road. But he also needs some help. There’s been some inconsistent play from the rest of the Pacers team that, if they could straighten out, would probably have them up 3-1 right now.
However, now the series goes back to the devil pit that is OKC and the Paycom Center. We know it’s going to be loud. Let’s see if Haliburton can ignore the noise and come through.
