The Indiana Pacers have the commanding three games to one lead over the New York Knicks and a major reason why the Pacers are in complete control in the Eastern Conference Final at the moment was the exceptional play of number zero in game four, Tyrese Haliburton of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Haliburton was simply superb on Tuesday night, as he recorded a triple double in a postseason contest. He had 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds in a 130-121 Indiana win. It was arguably the best complete game he has ever played.
Now, Haliburton has had two triple doubles before. They both came in 2023-24. Haliburton had 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in a 122-112 Pacers win over the Boston Celtics on December 4, 2023. He then had 18 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 121-118 Pacers win over the Milwaukee Bucks in game three of the first round of the 2024 NBA postseason.
What we saw from Haliburton was a complete effort both offensively and defensively in a critical contest. All 12 of Haliburton’s boards were defensive rebounds. While Haliburton’s 32 points were the most he has had in a playoff game this season. The Knicks had momentum after their impressive game three comeback win, but were unable to sustain that momentum in game four.
Five Pacers reached double figures in points. Power forward Pascal Siakam of Douala, Cameroon had 30 points, Canadian small forward Bennedict Mathurin of Montreal, Quebec had 20 points off the bench. Meanwhile, small forward Aaron Nesmith of Charleston, South Carolina had 16 points, and center Myles Turner of Bedford, Texas had 13 points. The Pacers can reach the NBA Finals with a win on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
