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Caitlin Clark's Ex-Teammate Makes Strong Tyrese Haliburton Comment
David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers opened their first-round series with a decisive 117-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven matchup. 

Tyrese Haliburton, who averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds during the regular season, struggled to find his rhythm. 

Despite finishing the game with a double-double, including ten points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds, he went 0-for-7 on three-point attempts in Game 1. 

Meanwhile, WNBA All-Star Erica Wheeler, former Indiana Fever guard and Caitlin Clark teammate, took to social media on Tuesday to challenge Haliburton's critics. 

In the post on X, she predicted a 40-point explosion and a 2-0 Pacers lead tonight. 

"Yall done called Tyrese overrated watch how he go for a 40 ball tonight and help the Pacers be up 2-0!" Wheeler said. "Just cause he cute don’t mean he ain’t LIKE that!! lol leave that man alone!"

A ten-year WNBA veteran, Wheeler played alongside Clark and the Fever in 2024, averaging 3.6 points, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 rebounds in 14 minutes of game time.

In February 2025, Wheeler signed with the Seattle Storm

With Damian Lillard returning for the Bucks in Game 2 and Las Vegas odds favoring Indiana by roughly 3.5 points, all eyes will be on Haliburton to back up Wheeler's bold forecast. 

The Pacers dominated from the opening tip in Game 1, building a 24-point halftime cushion before coasting to a near 20-point win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Indiana fielded six players in double figures, led by Pascal Siakam's 25 points and seven rebounds, while Milwaukee relied almost solely on Giannis Antetokounmpo's 36-point, 12-rebound performance.

The Bucks will likely lean on Antetokounmpo to carry the scoring load again, while Haliburton looks to silence the doubters and validate Wheeler's bold prediction. 

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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