Tyrese Haliburton Takes Blame for Pacers' Struggles in Upset Loss vs. Brunson, Knicks
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton took accountability for his team scoring 42 points in the second half and watching its lead slip away in a 106-100 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday.
"I think down the stretch, a game like this comes down to one or two possessions, so just trying to execute the right way, get guys in the right spots," he told reporters of Indiana's slower tempo deeper into Game 3.
"But yeah, it's definitely an area where I know when I watch film, I'm going to kick myself for it. I'm already thinking about it, kicking myself for it. ... I think that's just part of it and I got to be better there. Honestly, I think a lot of our offensive struggles in the second half were due to me, so I got to be better there and I will be better in Game 4."
The Pacers were ahead by as many as 20 points midway through the second quarter and held a 15-point advantage at halftime. It looked like Indiana was poised to go up 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals and put the Knicks on the brink.
Instead, New York clawed its way back and star center Karl-Anthony Towns took over in the fourth quarter. His 20 points matched the output of the entire Pacers squad.
Indiana, by contrast, went cold at the worst time, shooting 5-of-19 from the field in the fourth. Haliburton and teammate Pascal Siakam combined for 15 points, which wouldn't be bad on a normal night but wasn't enough in Game 3.
Haliburton has risen to the occasion multiple times this postseason and during the Pacers' conference finals run last year. The two-time All-Star relishes the spotlight, something made abundantly clear when he called back to Reggie Miller's legendary choke gesture after sending Game 1 into overtime.
Because of that, Indiana won't be panicking after Sunday's collapse.
The Pacers would've had one foot in the NBA Finals by reeling off three straight wins to start the series. A 2-1 lead and having home-court advantage is still an advantageous position.
If Haliburton and his squad get off to another hot start in Game 4, you'll expect them to finish the job.
