May 27, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots a three point basket over New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter of game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Pacers Star Puts Up All-Time Performance to Sink Knicks

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated May 29, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Tyrese Haliburton's ongoing playoff run is already in the midst of solidification with the stuff of legend, as he and his Indiana Pacers now stand just one game away from their first NBA Finals appearance in a quarter-century.

He's handed out iconic shots to every team he's faced, taking consequential leads behind continual clutch outings to send the New York Knicks down the same series deficits they once gave to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. As special of a moment as that high-bouncing bucket to send Game 1 to overtime, he saved his best performance for Game 4.

His 32-point, 12-rebound, 15-assist game with no turnovers isn't just the best performance of his personal playoff portfolio in 2025, let alone in this series. It ranks by some metrics as the best outing anyone's had in this postseason, outclassing every all-around explosion from the various MVP candidates and Hall of Famers lining this year's crop of playoff teams.

best performance of the playoffs pic.twitter.com/5XGSlORL2k
— Owen Phillips (@owenlhjphillips) May 28, 2025

He was more aggressive than usual, finally matching opposing point guard Jalen Brunson's shot-heavy approach with raining 3-pointers and productive pressure at the rim.

His assist work really made the night, though, as he kept Indiana's machine of an offense chugging along with his distributive powers, court vision and usual high-speed offensive tempo. Haliburton's refusal to turn the ball over also went a long way in consolidating Indiana's possessions and removing any chance for the Knicks to capitalize off of mistakes in their own fast breaks.

And he couldn't have picked a better time to go off, with his triple-double placing the Knicks squarely at the wrong end of a 3-1 lead. The Pacers continue inching toward the finals after their 130-121 win, with Indiana's star clearly answering back to Karl-Anthony Towns' own legacy performance in Game 3 mere days ago.

The Knicks have been largely outplayed in the clutch, out-coached by Indiana's Rick Carlisle and completely outmanned by the seemingly-limitless Pacers rotation. Their more off-ball star had held back from popping off while the Knicks' All-Stars have gone all-out to start the series, and now even they have been outclassed as New York sits one game away from elimination.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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