Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

NBA Makes Tyrese Haliburton Announcement Before 2025 Finals

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ashish Mathur | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 7:47 PM ET

Behind the stellar play of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, the Indiana Pacers are in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. They will face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference playoffs to advance to the NBA Finals.

Indiana defeated Milwaukee in five games, Cleveland in five games and New York in six games.

Haliburton is four wins away from winning his first NBA championship. The two-time All-Star has been playing at a superstar level in this year's postseason, so much so that he's etched his name next to Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson.

The NBA announced on Wednesday that Haliburton joins Johnson as the only players to enter the NBA Finals with 150+ assists and less than 50 turnovers in the postseason (since TOs were tracked in 1978).

Elite company for Tyrese Haliburton

He joins Magic Johnson as the only players to enter the Finals with 150+ assists and less than 50 turnovers in the postseason (since TOs were tracked in 1978).

#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV tip tomorrow at 8:30pm/et on ABC. pic.twitter.com/iMmMtaKrtW
— NBA (@NBA) June 4, 2025

Haliburton averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists in the regular season for the Pacers in 73 games. He enters the NBA Finals averaging 18.8 points and 9.8 assists.

The Pacers are heavy underdogs against the Thunder, the team with the best record in the NBA this season.

Haliburton acknowledged on Wednesday that Indiana likes to be counted out.

"You want to go through the best team, the best challenge. This is the best challenge," Haliburton said, via ESPN. "This is the best team in the NBA. It's been the best team in the NBA all year. They're well-coached. They just do everything so well. There's no shortcuts to beating this team.

"We know the odds are stacked against us. It is what it is. We want to be here. We want to play against the best. This is the best. We look forward to the challenge as a group."

Haliburton, who began his career with the Sacramento Kings, helped Team USA win the gold medal last summer at the Paris Olympics.

The talented point guard has career averages of 17.5 points and 8.8 assists.

Game 1 between the Pacers and Thunder is on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time on ABC.

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

More must-reads: