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Tyrese Haliburton was voted the Most Overrated Player in the NBA, but he’s only used that as fuel to intensify his playoff ability.
Last night, his Indiana Pacers took on the number one-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, ultimately going up 2-0.
But Haliburton pulled off the second win in a stunning way. The Cavs were at home in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena, and the home court advantage gave them a comfortable lead—that once ballooned to 20 points—from the end of the first quarter into the fourth.
However, something switched with about six minutes left in the game. The Pacers closed in on the Cavs, with a less than 10-point lead, with some layups and forcing contact to earn some three-point plays.
But even with a minute left, the momentum change didn’t seem enough, as the Cavs still led by seven points. Then, the Pacers got a second chance dunk off a free throw and a Pascal Siakam layup to cut the lead to three points.
Halburton then tried to get them within one point of a tie, but was fouled on the way to the rim, where he made the first free throw. Even though he missed the second, he caught his own rebound in the crowded paint and dribbled out to beyond the three-point line.
With Ty Jerome guarding him, Hali hit the step-back before sinking a three-pointer with just 1.1 seconds left on the clock. The Pacers were now up 120-119, and Cleveland couldn’t respond.
“I’m at peace. I’m at peace with my game. Understanding that I’m trusted in these moments,” Haliburton said after the victory. “I have all the confidence in the world to make these shots.”
The finishing move proves again that Haliburton is ready to step up in big moments. It was similar to how his layup capped off a game five overtime win in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks, as they erased a seven-point deficit in 40 seconds.
The Cavs have the second-best record in the NBA this season, only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, they’re down 0-2 and are headed to Pacers territory for games three and four.
For star Donovan Mitchell, he put on a 48-point performance in game two, is ready to put the first pair of games behind him, and looks forward to the challenge.
“We can sit here and dwell on this and be home in about four or five days or we can move on. And take some things that we did really well and go from there. I have no doubt everybody in the locker room is ready for Friday,” he told ESPN. “It sucks. It stings. But we got to go out there and take care of business, but I believe in everybody in that locker room. We believe in each other. We’ll figure it out.”
See social media’s reaction to the game below.