Tyrese Haliburton, overvalued to take Indiana Pacers to the NBA finals

“I call you to tell you that I think you are going to be transferred,” said his agent, by phone, on the morning of Tuesday, February 8, 2022. Tyrese Haliburton First he thought it was a joke. There were two days for the deadline for changes of NBA players. The base was one of the emerging stars of Sacramento Kingsthird in the vote for Rookie of the year in the previous season. However, due to the tone of voice, and especially for silence, he understood that he was serious. Less than five minutes later, after a period of confusion in which he locked in the bathroom to try to understand what was happening, the phone rang again. “Indiana, it seems that it is Indiana,” the agent told him. 90 seconds later the Kings General Manager was confirmed. Thus, Haliburton reached PACERSaccording to wrote in The Players’ Tribune. Today, less than three years later, he guided his team to the finals of the NBA.

Haliburton’s preponderance in these Pacers is remarkable. It was decisive in the first round series against Milwaukee Bucksin conference semifinals in front of Cleveland Cavaliers And, even more, in the East Finals before New York Knicks.

The base, 25, reached 9 double-doubles in the playoffs, matching Dale Davis (1999) as the Pacers player who did it most times in a postseason. And with 156 assists became the second player in the history of the franchise to overcome 150 in some playoffs behind Mark Jackson, with 178 in 2000.

The success about the horn at the close of the fourth period of the first game of the series in which Tyrese took the testimony of Reggie, Haliburton recreating Miller perfectly, including the gesture of hanging aimed at Spike Lee, both in 1994 and 2025, marked the course. The Base sentenced that it would be the protagonist of this infinite duel between Knicks and Pacers. And he was not wrong.

In that initial victory in supplementary time, the flashes of the photographers and the boots of the fans in the Madison Square Garden was taken. He shone, accompanied by an Aaron Nesmith plethoric with his triple for the comeback.

Over The Last 27 Postseasons, Teams Were 0-970 when they traied by 14 Or more points in the final 2:50 of regulation.

that’s now 1-970. pic.twitter.com/69pbnimq1h

– Indiana Pacers (@pacers) May 22, 2025

In the second game, in which Pascal Siakam dazzled with 39 points, Haliburton was the solid driver that Rick Carlisle team needed. He knew when to be the protagonist and when to find better paths to damage the rival.

The defeat in the third, in Indiana, had it at a good level, although with little company. And was eclipsed by Karl-Anthony Towns.

In the room, Tyrese did everything. And all good: 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, 0 losses. Triple-double without losing the ball or once, it is worth repeating it.

Haliburton is the third player with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, 15 assists and 0 losses since errors with the ball (1977/1978) are counted. Nikola Jokic (in 2023) and James Harden (in 2021), did so in a regular season.

“Not losing the ball has become a goal for him. Someday they will have to put a statistic that bears his name,” said Carlisle, coach of the Pacers.

Haliburton’s dazzled performance in the fifth game was reflected in the bulky fall of Indiana. No one is perfect.

In the sixth and definitive match, Hali was from minor to greatest and ended with 21 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 robberies.

He cared little that the ‘Larry Bred’ award for MVP from the East Conference finals gave it to Siakam.

The classification to the NBA summit series, with the 125-108 victory, showed it euphoric.

The call to warn him that they transferred him had made him cry. Tyrese wanted to stay in Sacramento. Moreover, he thought his whole career would be there. The same as their kings companions, unbelievers when he communicated his departure in the team’s chat group.

Haliburton, who had been chosen in the 12th position of the 2020 Draft when in the forecasts he did not get out of the sixth place, he felt Sacramento like his house. His soon and unexpected change was sad, but he opened the doors of a much better future.

Haliburton, voted as the most overrated responded with play and words

The morning of April 22 of this year, The Athletic He published his annual anonymous survey in which NBA basketballists are expressed in different categories. Haliburton was the most voted in a cruel one: more overrated player in the league. That night, the base was dispatched with 21 points, 12 assists and 5 rebounds in the victory against the Bucks to put the 2-0 in the series.

For Carlisle, that survey “is shit”. At least for the item in which Haliburton received more votes, the coach does not lack reason.

“I have nothing to say. The only thing that matters to me is what happens in the locker room and then win games on the court,” Tyrese said to subtract importance from the survey.

He looked in the rest of the tie, especially in the fifth game in which he was the protagonist of a majestic closure, first in regular time, even more in the supplementary.

Haliburton celebrated while his father argued face to face with Giannis Antetokounmpo. When he met details of that fight, Tyrese agreed with the sanction to his father and even had a conversation with him to reconsider.

He resolved on the court and outside it to move on.

Before the Cavaliers, in the second game, every time Haliburton went to the line of free throws, Cleveland’s fans sang “Overraned”. Donovan Mitchell, star of the local team, asked for calm. I knew that Indiana’s brain reaction could be lethal.

Haliburton turned 7 points in the last 84 seconds of the match, crowned with the triple winner in the final sigh and thus completed an unlikely recovery.

“It is likely that in each game as a visitor they will remind me of the vote, at least until the survey will be carried out and there we will see if I am again the number 1. I only control what I can and what I have to say is ‘overvalue this'”.

Overwhelmed that

– Tyrese Haliburton (@Tyhaliburton22) April 30, 2025

The Pacers sentenced the 4-1 series and settled in the conference finals.

Indiana, fourth in the east in the regular season with 50 wins and 32 losses, left Cleveland on the way, the best team with 64-18 record.

Overvalue this.

In front of the Knicks, Tyrese pulled his team’s car, challenged the mythical Madison Square Garden and put the brooch to the series in Indianapolis, who will see some NBA finals after 25 years.

Haliburton shoots with the ball and with the words.

Bang! Bang! You are liquidated.