Tyrees Halliburton’s stunning Game 4 performance torched the New York Knicks and moved the Indiana Pacers into an NBA Finals game.
Tyreese Halliburton has left the Indiana Pacers to one victory as they achieved a unique performance and reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000.
Halliburton scored 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds without leaving Tuesday night to win the New York Knicks 130-121 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Indianapolis. He is the first player in NBA history to post that stat line (30-15-10-0) in a postseason game.
Halliburton made five three-pointers in addition to a triple double in his second career postseason, along with a notch, and four steals to help Pacer lead 3-1 in the Top 7 Series.
Halliburton saw what he owed to his teammates and the finest efforts he had after the Pacers’ game three loss on Sunday.
“I was just trying to be aggressive and trying to respond,” Halliburton said. “I felt like I was disappointed in the team in Game 3, so it was important to come out here and play.
I was not surprised that Pacers coach Rick Carlisle liked it the most. Zero turnover sequence.
“He was really throwing the ball tonight, and that was really important to us,” Carlisle said. “It’s very noteworthy that no turnovers are in any of these types of situations, but this has become his. I know he has a great pride in it.
“He happens to do some impressive statistical things, but he knows well that this is all transcendental.”
The Pacers will try to put together the series in New York on Thursday.
Pascal Siakam scored 30 points, Bennedict Mathurin added 20 minutes more than 12 minutes off the bench, while Aaron Nesmith contributed 16 points to fourth seed Indiana. It was the second 30-point effort in Siakam’s series.
Jalen Brunson scored 31 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 12 rebounds, while OG Anunoby added 22 points to the third Knicks. Mikal Bridges scored 17 points, while Josh Hart added 12 points and 11 rebounds to New York.
“We scored 120 points, but our defense wasn’t good enough,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Our rebound was good, but our defense and our departure hurt us.”
Halliburton Game 4 Difference Maker
Thibodeau attributes Halliburton’s historic outing to the collapse of his team.
“Halliburton is a great player,” Thibodeau said. “You don’t protect the great players in this league individually. It’s your whole team. And if one guy isn’t doing his job, everyone will look bad.”
The town suffered a left knee injury in the second consecutive game and was hobbing in the finish. Thibodeau said the town could be investigated.
“I’m just thinking about the loss, I’m not thinking about it now,” Towns said of his knee. “It’s a shame when you can’t win. We didn’t do enough to get the job done.”
Meanwhile, Nesmith was declared better to go to Carlisle over an hour before tip-off. The 25-year-old forward was spraining his right ankle midway through the third quarter of Sunday’s Game 3.
Miles Turner added 13 points before fouling out to Indiana. This earned 13 of 32 people (40.6%) from the field and 51.1% and 31 points range. The Pacers once again had a good transition at a 22-9 edge with a fast breakpoint, increasing the advantage in that category to 65-23.
The Knicks scored 46.3% of the shots, 12 (42.9%) out of 28 (42.9%) from behind the arc. New York had a 44-33 rebound edge.
The Pacers scored their first seven points in the second half, closing out a 13-0 burst and grabbed a 76-64 advantage.
The Knicks reduced their deficit to 89-84 after two free throws by Branson, with 3:59 left in the third quarter. However, a three-pointer by Halliburton went 99-89, with 55.6 seconds remaining in that period, with the Pacers taking a 102-91 lead in the final stanza.
Siakam scored five straight points early in the quarter, giving Indiana the biggest lead, 111-96. However, New York recorded seven straight wins within 115-109 after being thrown into town with 4:24 left.
Indiana kept that pace and the lead was 126-116 after Obi Toppin drilled a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left.
“We haven’t done anything yet,” said Siakam, who stood out on the 2019 Toronto Raptors title-winning team.
Halliburton was electric with 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in the first half as the Pacers led 69-64 on a break. Indiana scored the final six points in the half. Branson scored 16 in New York before his break.
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