Haliburton had a game for the ages, becoming only the third player in NBA playoff history to have a game with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists.
When his team needed it most, it was the difference between being up 3-1 by night’s end vs. knotted at 2-2 is transformative as NBA series go.
Haliburton all but guaranteed this The Pacers guard foreshadowed the most impressive playoff game of his young life in the doldrums after Indiana’s Game 3 loss.
In a tough playoff series against a tough opponent like this, he fits in games like this.” 5.
It is 6-1 in road playoff games this spring.
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INDIANAPOLIS — John Haliburton was present Tuesday, but he was safe at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, confined to a suite instead of his usual floor seat. Following the Pacers’ first-round victory last month, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was heckled by the NBA’s most well-known “Bad Dad,” which led to trouble.
Following his inappropriate behavior that evening, for which both Haliburtons later apologized, the Indiana Pacers suspended the father of their All-Star point guard, preventing him from playing in the team’s home semifinal matchups against Cleveland and Sunday’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against New York.
A father should be allowed to watch his son play basketball, according to proponents like Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Haliburton, the elder, was released and invited upstairs. “Happy to see him again.”.
Had he missed this one, it would have been a great shame. His son did more than just help Indiana win Game 4 130-121, giving them a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
As just the third player in NBA playoff history to record a game with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists, Haliburton had a memorable performance.
Prior to this, only two-time Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Denver center Nikola Jokić had ever recorded such numbers in the league’s 78-year history.
When you combine Haliburton’s four steals and zero turnovers, which were not officially recorded in the Big O’s era, with the fact that Jokić had six of the former and none of the latter on his big night two years ago in a loss to Phoenix, the performance was genuinely one-of-one.
At the end of the night, it was the difference between his team winning 3-1 and losing when they needed it most. Being tied at 2-2 changes the course of an NBA series. Only 13 of the 288 teams that had a 3-1 deficit at the start of this postseason made it through. Nobody has been able to manage that 4 percent since 2020.
Home-court advantage is either retained or restored in a best-of-three series that is tied 2-2, effectively starting over. With 81 percent of the teams that win Game 5 going on to win the series, winning Game 5 becomes crucial (191-44).
The Knicks came to the court on Tuesday with that goal in mind. For the opportunity to extend it once more, they will now be desperate to do so. As they all return to Madison sq\. Garden in New York for Thursday’s Game 5 (8 p.m.), here are five things to remember. A. ET and TNT).
1. . This was virtually assured by Haliburton.
Following Indiana’s defeat in Game 3, the Pacers guard hinted at the most spectacular playoff game of his early career. Haliburton unreservedly accepted responsibility for the team’s failure to maintain a 20-point lead or at least outlast the Knicks with that margin. He blamed himself for the team’s mistakes in pace, execution, and decision-making.
To be honest, he would have returned to the streets that evening if he could have. This accounted for his explosive start in Game 4.
In the NBA’s play-by-play era (since 1998, to be exact), Haliburton became just the second player to record at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a playoff quarter after assisting Indiana to 43 points in the first quarter. LeBron James is the alternative.
Making 15 of their 22 shots during that time, the Pacers were playing well. On those 15 baskets, they had 11 assists, five of which were from Haliburton. When you consider that they only scored 44 points in the second half on Sunday, it was even more impressive.
For us, it was crucial that he was throwing the ball here, Carlisle stated. It’s crucial in those circumstances to avoid turnovers. In the future, there might be a statistical category that bears his name. “”.
Haliburton’s stats buddy had changed by halftime. Only he and Russell Westbrook have ever finished a playoff half with at least 20 points, five rebounds, and ten assists.
More Carlisle: “I’m sick of discussing specific figures. Tyrese has some truly amazing statistical abilities. However, he is well aware that this goes far beyond statistics. “”.
2. The Knicks were unable to bypass themselves.
Some positive aspects of this game for New York included controlling the boards 44–33, converting 13 offensive rebounds into 15 second-chance points, and scoring 77 points from OG Anunoby (22) and Jalen Brunson (31).
But they kept losing the game. It was unacceptable for the Knicks to give up 43 points in the first quarter, and their 17 turnovers did more than just prevent them from scoring; they were like lit matches thrown on Indiana’s energized offense. That caused the New York defense to be overly stressed.
Subtly, coach Tom Thibodeau described the first quarter as “problematic.”. “”.
Our score was 120 points. That is a lot of points,” he stated. “However, our defense was insufficient. “.”.
Nobody ought to attempt to engage Indiana in combat. With five players scoring in double figures and the Pacers surpassing 50 percent overall and 40 percent from three, it was difficult to determine what, if anything, New York’s defense was stealing.
3. . Nesmith continues his two-way impact while playing.
In Game 3, Aaron Nesmith sprained his right ankle, severely hindering Indiana’s play. When he returned from his 11-minute treatment on Sunday, he limped just enough to cast doubt on his availability for Game 4, and the team’s 13-point lead was reduced to a 1-point deficit.
The 6-foot-5 wing’s energy, toughness, defense, and timely scoring were crucial, and word got out long before tipoff that he was available. The Pacers were ahead by 20 points during Nesmith’s 32:26 playing time, and his 16 points were even more impressive after an early explosive dunk gave notice that his ankle was fine.
His persistent pursuit of Brunson, who was essentially the only defender who really irritated the relentless offensive engine of New York, was equally beneficial.
4. . Mathurin’s game of “remember me.”.
During the two games at Gainbridge this week, Carlisle was questioned about Bennedict Mathurin, a third-year wing whose role and opportunities had diminished this postseason.
The question seemed to be designed to elicit an emotional or angsty response regarding Mathurin’s bravery, but the Pacers coach just responded, “He’s ready.”. “.”.
You think? Mathurin finished the series with 11 points overall, but in Game 4, he scored 20 points while playing 12:29 off the bench. He scored six points during the first quarter break, twice cut to turn inbound passes into layups, and further put pressure on the Knicks defense by grabbing 11 free throws.
Carlisle later remarked: “He’s really tough.”. He performs well in games like this during a playoff series against a formidable opponent. “.”.
5. Pressure on the most hyped arena in the world.
Without home-court advantage, teams have performed admirably throughout the 2025 postseason, leading to discussions about why it no longer seems to be as crucial as it once was.
The Knicks can put their search for a winning strategy on hold until October if they don’t find one at Madison sq\. Garden on Thursday. As of right now, they are only 3-5 at home but 6-2 in the other guys’ arenas after three rounds.
Indiana is ready to exploit this. It has a 6-1 record this spring in road playoff games. And aside from Game 3 in every round thus far—the Pacers have lost every one—they are 11-0 and advancing to the Finals.
They are currently just the third team seeded fourth or lower to start three series in a single postseason with 3-0 or 3-1 leads. Miami repeated the feat in 2020 and 2023.
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Since 1980, Steve Aschburner has been writing about the NBA. You may follow him on X, locate his archive here, and send him an email here.
