The Indiana Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks might have just produced the best game of the season. Playing at the State Farm Arena, the In-Season Tournament clash witnessed a total of 10 lead changes & ties. Finally, it was Tyrese Haliburton and co. who secured a place in the elimination round as they clinched a massive 157-152 win.
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The high-scoring bout witnessed several players light up the stat sheet. The Hawks’ backcourt duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray recorded 38 points and 28 points, respectively. Further, Bogdan Bogdanovic came off the bench and had a 26-point outing.
For the Pacers, Buddy Hield and Obi Toppin were extremely impressive combining for 45 points. However, it was Tyrese Haliburton who was the undisputed star of the night. The 6ft 5” guard played almost 39 minutes and lodged a sensational 37-point, 16-assist outing.
Tyrese Haliburton keeps making history.
Tonight:
37 PTS
9 3PT
16 AST
26 points in the third quarter (franchise record)“Ever since we got Tyrese, we’ve really been trying to play at a faster tempo….He’s one of the very best at that tempo in all of the game.” pic.twitter.com/olSSXF4AdP
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) November 22, 2023
Rick Carlisle had some high praises following Haliburton’s huge double-double. The head coach of the Indiana Pacers complimented his All-Star for trusting and displaying confidence in his teammates, a trait that Carlisle has noticed in two other legendary guards – Jason Kidd and Luka Doncic.
“The other thing I really was impressed with was the way Ty [Tyrese Haliburton] trusted his teammates when they started trapping him all over the floor. Certain guys have the ability to deliver the ball in a way that creates confidence for teammates. I saw Jason Kidd do it. I saw Luka Doncic do it. Now, we are seeing Tyrese doing it,” Carlisle said.
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle compared the passing ability of Tyrese Haliburton against traps to Jason Kidd and Luka Doncic:
“The other thing I really was impressed with was the way [Tyrese Haliburton] trusted his teammates when they started trapping him all over the… pic.twitter.com/lJnaq9HyMt
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) November 22, 2023
Tyrese Haliburton is proving why he’s worth the Supermax contract
Tyrese Haliburton was among the several big names who signed an extremely lucrative contract this summer. Agreeing to the $260 million max contract extension, the 23-year-old has extended his relationship with the Indiana side for five more years.
Hali has wasted no time in proving his worth. The Indiana Pacers are currently 3-0 in the In-Season Tournament, and sit 6th in the East with a 8-5 record. Haliburton’s improvement has been a huge reason behind the team’s success.
The pass-first point guard has been averaging a career-high in points (24.7) and assists (12). Further, the youngster is also recording 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
With the way he’s been performing, it won’t be surprising to see the Pacers comfortably advance to the 2024 postseason. Also, with Hali playing such incredible basketball, it is more than likely that we see him get a 2nd All-Star nod.
