Tyrese Haliburton addresses low ‘external expectations’ for Indiana Pacers as team prepare for Game 7

Haliburton knows his team deserves more love

The Pacers had a slow start, which was an underwhelming follow-up to the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals appearance. They turned it up in the second half of the 2024-25 season, recording their first 50-win season since 2014.

Haliburton is their engine, and teammates have helped him spearhead this Pacers charge. With only one win away from a championship, the Pacers have already shocked the world with what they have achieved. They want to confirm it by winning the title and truly surprise everyone.

This is not a team where Haliburton is doing everything. Almost every player in Rick Carlisle’s rotation has done something to help the Pacers reach this stage. They are one of the most well-rounded NBA teams, and it is leading to some fruitful results.

“As a group, we’ve been very resilient in the Playoffs. We are a group of guys who get along really well and are trying to do something special. I think the expectations for this group from an external viewpoint weren’t very high,” Haliburton said ahead of Game 7.

“They weren’t very high coming into the Playoffs, going into the second round, going into the third round, and now. We’ve done a great job of staying together.”

“There’s not a group of guys I’d rather go to war with. I’m really excited to compete with these guys in a Game 7. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.”

The Pacers can prove that well-rounded teams can win championships

Through the years, the NBA has had many star-powered teams win the title. That is commonplace in the league because of stacked rosters. For the Pacers, they do not have multiple superstars; they are winning with a well-built roster.

Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan did a fantastic job of building this team. The front office capitalized on high-value trades and smart drafting. That is how success in the NBA happens, and the Pacers are looking to finalize the project with a championship.

Game 7 will be the most important in franchise history, as they could finally win the big one. The last time they were here was in the twilight of the iconic Reggie Miller’s career in 2000. With him on the sidelines cheering for the Pacers, they want to win it for him.

With a rotation that can go 11 players deep, the Pacers are ready to try to beat the Thunder. However, it will be a tough task, especially with the quality of the Thunder’s roster. They can bounce back, and Game 7 will be on their home floor, which makes this even tougher.