INDIANAPOLIS — In a recent matchup during the Eastern Conference finals, Jalen Brunson of the Knicks and Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers both took accountability for their teams' performances. The Knicks secured a crucial 106-100 victory, marking their first win of the series. This game saw the Pacers held to a playoff-low of 100 points, with a disappointing 42 points in the second half alone.
Despite being the leading scorer for the Pacers with 20 points, Haliburton emphasized the importance of personal accountability, stating, “Honestly, I think a lot of our offensive struggles in the second half will be due to me.” He acknowledged committing three of Indiana’s 14 turnovers and noted that the team's execution faltered, particularly in critical moments. “I didn’t do a great job of getting downhill and just making plays. I gotta do a better job there,” he remarked.
Haliburton expressed concern over his role in guiding his teammates during high-pressure situations, saying, “I think I’m relied on a lot down the stretch of games to get guys in the right positions. I feel like I didn’t do, personally, a great job at that.” He emphasized that improving execution in crucial moments starts with him, stating, “You live with it, you watch film, and you get better, and you prepare for Game 4.”
During the game, the Pacers squandered a significant 20-point lead in the second quarter, primarily due to their poor shooting performance. Indiana struggled throughout the game, going just 5-for-25 from 3-point range after a remarkable showing from beyond the arc in their first two victories in New York, where they hit a combined 28 three-pointers.
Haliburton also credited the Knicks' revamped second unit, which included demoted players like Josh Hart and Miles McBride, as well as veterans Delon Wright and Landry Shamet, for disrupting Indiana’s rhythm. He noted that their defensive adjustments “wreaked havoc” and caused the Pacers to lose some of their usual pace.
Josh Hart, who suggested his own demotion in this pivotal Game 3, along with Brunson, who rebounded from a rough outing to deliver when it mattered most, played critical roles in the Knicks' comeback. Haliburton admitted that he often “walked the ball up the court” instead of pushing the tempo, a tactic he recognized as detrimental to their performance.
He added, “It’s definitely an area where I know when I watch film, I’m going to kick myself for it. … We got kind of stagnant on that end. We had some missed shots, 5-for-25 from 3, that’s not ideal.” Haliburton concluded by acknowledging the necessity for improvement, stating, “Obviously, a 42-point second half isn’t us. So we’ll see what we can do better there, and we’ll improve on it in preparation for Game 4.”
