Tyrese Haliburton slowly made his way to the microphone on Friday night with injuries to his ankle, tailbone, and body. Despite his physical discomfort, Haliburton showed no signs of pain in the final moments of Game 3.
When Haliburton heard Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau calling for a double team, he passed the ball to Andrew Nembhard. Nembhard momentarily struggled to catch the pass before making a crucial 31-foot 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining, giving the Pacers a vital 111-106 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“I probably hesitated a bit too much or should have attacked more aggressively against the double team,” Haliburton said after scoring 35 points, his second consecutive playoff career high. “It was a significant shot. Drew really stepped up when we needed him.”
Haliburton almost single-handedly led the Pacers back from a nine-point deficit in the final 9:45, bringing them within 2-1 of the Knicks in the best-of-seven series instead of falling into a 3-0 deficit that no team has ever overcome.
Indiana remains unbeaten at home this postseason, with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday. Haliburton finished with 35 points and seven assists, marking his second consecutive career-high performance.
For Nembhard, the game was a moment of redemption. He had not scored in the first 46 minutes of play before making a crucial layup to break the tie with 1:55 remaining. His only other basket of the game was the decisive stepback 3-pointer.
Pascal Siakam contributed 26 points and seven rebounds, while Myles Turner added 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers.
