Tyrese Haliburton shines in Pacers win over the Knicks

Team defense appears to be a weakness for the New York Knicks at this time. That is one reason why they made a blockbuster deal with the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, to acquire defensive specialist OG Anunoby of London, England.

What we saw this past weekend was greatness on both ends of the floor by Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Haliburton’s impressive skill on December 28, the court was the primary reason the Pacers beat the New York Knicks 140-126.

Haliburton tied the Pacers record for most assists in a game with 23, and became only the third National Basketball Association player ever to have two straight games with 20 points and 20 assists. In the 14-point win over the Knicks, Haliburton had 22 points and 23 assists. In the 120-104 Pacers win over the Chicago Bulls, he had 21 points and 20 assists.

The first Pacers player with 23 assists in a game was Jamaal Tinsley of Brooklyn, New York according to the Associated Press. He achieved the feat as a rookie in a 110-103 Pacers win over the Washington Wizards on November 22, 2001.

The first two NBA players with two straight games with a minimum of 20 points and 20 assists in a game were Hall of Fame point guards Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers and John Stockton of the Utah Jazz. Johnson, a native of Lansing, Michigan, had 25 points and 20 assists in a 117-116 Lakers win over the Atlanta Hawks on December 18, 1984, and 26 points and 20 assists in a 123-116 Lakers win over the Houston Rockets on December 19, 1984. Stockton, a native of Spokane, Washington, had 26 points and 21 assists in a 119-102 Jazz win over the Portland Trail Blazers on March 1, 1990, and then had 22 points and 20 assists in a 112-98 Jazz win over the San Antonio Spurs on March 3, 1990.

In 2023-24 Haliburton is averaging 24.6 points per game and leads the NBA with 12.8 assists per game. He also has four rebounds per game, one steal per game, a field goal percentage of .501, free throw percentage of .852, and three-point percentage of .414.

With the win on Saturday, the Pacers improve to a record of 17 wins and 14 losses. They are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.