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Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton drops mic on Cavs fans chanting ‘overrated’

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints | By Jason Patt | Last updated May 7, 2025 10:37 AM ET

Cleveland Cavaliers fans let Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton hear it with “overrated” chants during Game 2 of their second-round series, which even prompted Donovan Mitchell to tell them to cut it out. After struggling for much of the game, Haliburton got the last laugh with a shocking game-winning 3-pointer to give the Pacers a 120-119 victory and a 2-0 series lead.

Much has been made of Haliburton’s alleged “overrated” status since The Athletic’s NBA player poll labeled him the most overrated player in the league. Haliburton initially fired back at this poll result back during the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, and he did it again after his game-winner ended that series.

The Pacers star addressed the chants after his Game 2 heroics, expressing surprise as well as defiance.

“That one was unexpected. I didn’t know we had beef,” Haliburton said about the chants, per Forbes’ Tony East. “That came out of nowhere … it will follow me until the next overrated poll. We’ll see if I’m number 1.”

Haliburton signed off with his “overrate that” line once again.

"Overrate that."

Tyrese Haliburton on the "overrated" chants he received in Cleveland during Pacers-Cavs Game 2

(via @NBATV)
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Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 2 heroics vs. Cavs

The shorthanded Cavs came out with desperation in Game 2, building up a 20-point advantage despite being without Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter. Donovan Mitchell carried Cleveland, and even though Indiana fought back, it still looked like the Cavs were going to pull out the win to tie the series.

But Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers never flinched. Haliburton scored eight points in the 1:24 as part of the rousing comeback, with Indiana ultimately coming back from down 119-112 in the final minute. A Haliburton missed free throw that could have been a death knell turned into his game-winning triple when he recovered the loose ball and dribbled into his stepback dagger.

What the Pacers have pulled off in the last week with these comebacks is unprecedented, and Haliburton has been the game-winning hero both times. It’s a testament to his ability under pressure to come up big in these moments, putting Indiana on track for a huge upset and another Eastern Conference Finals trip.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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