INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton remembers the times his father couldn’t make it to his video games. John Haliburton was a weekend referee, usually tied up whereas his son chased his basketball goals.
“He didn’t get to come to many of my games growing up,” Haliburton stated. “So when he would come to my games, I would want to play well.”
It doesn’t get a lot better than this.
In his father’s first recreation again after serving an NBA-imposed ban for a courtside altercation in Spherical 1, Haliburton delivered one of the best playoff efficiency of his younger profession: 32 factors, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, zero turnovers — all in a 130-121 Sport 4 win over the Knicks that gave Indiana a commanding 3–1 lead within the Japanese Convention Finals.
His dad watched from a collection inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“So with him being in the building, of course I wanted to play well,” Haliburton stated. “But I know we’re saying free pops and pops is free, but he was not in jail. He happened to be in a very beautiful home, sitting very pretty watching NBA basketball. He was just fine. Yeah I was happy he was in the building.”
John Haliburton had been barred from attending video games after a heated postgame trade with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. His son insists the ban had little emotional toll.
“Emotions [with him back]? No,” stated Haliburton. “Imma be trustworthy with you guys right here: My dad is simply positive. He lives simply positive. He [was either] on the home watching the sport in a ravishing residence or he finds his means into some sports activities bar with a bunch of Pacer followers. My dad is doing simply positive.
“There’s obviously a lot of commentary around him, especially right after [the incident], which I think some was warranted, some went a little too far. But that’s just sports and that’s just talking heads. What can you really do?”
Whereas the return of his father made for a particular night time, it was Haliburton’s response to a poor Sport 3 efficiency that advised the story.
“I was just trying to be aggressive man. Trying to play my best. I felt like I let the team down in Game 3, felt like I could have been so much better, so I felt like I responded the right way today,” he stated. “Just trying to be aggressive, take what the defense gives me. Felt like I was a little jittery, playing too fast [in Game 3]. So trying to calm myself down especially in the half-court and isolations and stuff, trying to settle down. And then trying to find guys and play the right way.”
The Knicks had no reply.
Haliburton carved them up with precision: 11-of-23 from the sphere, 5-of-12 from three, choosing on Mikal Bridges in isolation and drawing Mitchell Robinson into uncomfortable spots within the pick-and-roll.
“It’s not just [Mikal]. Haliburton’s a great player. You don’t guard great players in this league individually. It’s your entire team,” stated head coach Tom Thibodeau. “And if one guy’s not doing their job, everyone is going to look bad. And so there’s a combination of things, whether we’re talking defensive transition, isolation game, pick-and-roll game, whatever it might be, it’s everyone being tied together and moving in unison and reading the ball correctly and making the right reads.”
Haliburton exploded for 15 of his 32 factors in a 43-point first quarter — a blitz that set the tone early.
“So he got off to a good start, and it’s hard when guys get confidence, great players get confidence early, it’s hard to slow them down,” Thibodeau added. “I thought the urgency to start the game, giving up the transition basket, that hurts you because it gives players confidence, and your job becomes much more difficult.”
Haliburton turned the primary participant in NBA historical past to file a 30-point, 15-assist, 12-rebound recreation with no turnovers within the playoffs. It marked the eleventh time in his profession he’s completed a recreation with 15 or extra assists and 0 giveaways.
“Just trying to make the right play. I think my game is a little unorthodox. I jump to pass probably more than anyone in the NBA. But I work on that stuff. That’s how I’ve worked my whole life to play the game,” he stated. “So I take pride in taking care of the ball. I feel like the more we take care of the ball as a team, the more opportunities we get to shoot the ball. I feel like the more shots we get in a game, the better opportunity we have to win. So I take pride in that. I’d rather do really anything else on the basketball court than turn the ball over.”
He now additionally owns the NBA file for many mixed statistics (factors, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) in a playoff recreation and not using a turnover.
“Nah I didn’t know that,” he stated. “I really feel like we’re making up stats in some unspecified time in the future to make me look higher, however I simply wanna play the appropriate means, man. I simply wanna impression successful. The final two years, after my third yr and getting the massive contract and now having to step into a brand new function, I feel for me, it was nearly how can I impression successful? And I’m simply attempting to try this to one of the best of my potential.
“We’re building something special here. We’re having a lot of fun with what we’re doing, and I feel like I’m at the forefront of that along with a lot of these guys. So I’m just trying to play the right way and play to the best of my ability. That’s what it’s about and I feel I did a good job today.”
The Knicks, in the meantime, want a historic comeback — and a plan to gradual the engine powering Indiana’s offense.
“He was playing the space. They all do a good job of creating space for each other,” stated Jalen Brunson. “He was able to pick his spots and get to what he was going to do and he’s a great player. Simple as that. It’s on us to try to limit him the best we can and just get back to the drawing board and get ready for Game 5.”
Haliburton stated he’ll benefit from the night time — then get again to work.
“Just trying to play the right way and I felt like we did that for 48 minutes, and that’s why we came out with the win,” he stated. “You can feel good about it for the night, but then you’ve gotta be ready to go for Game 5 because their backs are against the wall. They’re gonna play as desperate as they can — as they should — they’re gonna come out and throw a punch and throw more punches and more punches and we’ve gotta be able to respond to those. So really proud of our effort.”
