With the Indiana Pacers looking to bounce back in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, there is one player who will have a huge spotlight on him for the rest of the series. It would be a relatively down performance for Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton as he spoke about his outing in the 123-107 Game 2 loss on Sunday.
In the game, Haliburton would score 17 points, 12 in the final period, on seven of 13 shooting from the field to go along with six assists and three rebounds. As said, Haliburton would have his best scoring quarter in the final frame, but he would point out hw he hasn’t started well for Indiana, which will be a point of emphasis, according to X, formerly Twitter, user “@ohnohedidnt24.”
“I think I’ve had two really poor first halves. I just gotta figure out how to be better earlier in games,” Haliburton said. “But, you know, kudos to them, they’re a great defensive team. But, you know, watch the film, see where I can get better.”
Tyrese Haliburton:
“I think I’ve had two really poor first halves. I just gotta figure out how to be better earlier in games” pic.twitter.com/xAqlLlB6Fd
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 9, 2025
Looking at Haliburton’s first game, he would total 14 points, which was lower than Game 2, but the outing was highlighted by the clutch go-ahead shot that eventually was the game-winner.
Pacers’ Rick Carlisle comes to the defense of Tyrese Haliburton
While the Pacers fell in Game 2 to the Thunder in blowout fashion, there will be conversation around Haliburton and the need for him to do more in the scoring department. However, Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle would come to the defense of Haliburton, saying that scoring isn’t the only aspect of basketball, and while it begins with the best players, “everybody’s got to do more,” according to the team’s YouTube page.
“There’s a lot more to the game than just scoring. Everybody’s got to do more,” Carlisle said. “Starts with the best players, starts with Tyrese and Pascal and Myles, and then it goes from there. People shouldn’t just look at his points and assists and judge how he played or judge how any of our guys played just on that, that’s not how our team is built.”
“We’re an ecosystem that has to function together, and we gotta score enough points to win the game, but who gets them and how they get them, not important,” Carlisle continued.
At any rate, the NBA Finals series is now tied at one game apiece with Game 3 taking place on Wednesday night in Indiana.
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