Tyrese Haliburton Comes Up Mostly Quiet In Game 2, And The Pacers Feel It

Instead, the Thunder handled their business, dominating the Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals to even the series at one game apiece — and for the first time all postseason, Indiana doesn’t hold a 2-0 lead.

The story? Haliburton never really showed up, at least not when it mattered.

The All-Star guard finished with 17 points and six assists, but don’t let the box score fool you. He scored 12 of those in the fourth quarter, with the Pacers already trailing by 19. Before that? Just five points on 2-of-7 shooting. By then, Oklahoma City had all but slammed the door shut.

Lu Dort, Oklahoma City’s defensive bulldog, deserves plenty of credit for that. He stuck to Haliburton from the opening tip like it was personal. And for three quarters, it looked like Haliburton wanted no part of it.

Worse yet, Haliburton committed a playoff-high five turnovers and was walking with a noticeable limp after the game. Indiana didn’t just lose the scoreboard battle, it looked out of sorts with their franchise centerpiece out of rhythm.

Haliburton’s late surge in the fourth? Well, it didn’t really mean a whole lot. They were the kind of numbers that make the line look respectable, but don’t reflect how little impact he had when the game was still up for grabs.

Game 1 masked some of the issues. Haliburton hit the game-winner and created the headline, but he only scored 14 points in that one, too. Through two Finals games, he’s got 31 points total. Most have come in the fourth quarter, and this time, again, it was long after the Thunder had established control.

That’s not the Haliburton we saw against Milwaukee, Cleveland or New York. That’s not the Haliburton that makes Indiana tick.

And it’s not just him. Pascal Siakam had a rough go, too — just 3-of-11 shooting and a team-worst minus-20 on the night. The duo that got Indiana here hasn’t done enough in the Finals. Not yet, anyway.

Yes, the supporting cast did its job. Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner, and Andrew Nembhard combined for 41 points. Bennedict Mathurin added 14 off the bench. The effort was there. But when your top two players come up flat, it rarely matters.

The series now shifts to Indianapolis, and there’s no panic just yet. The Pacers got the split in OKC, which any coach would take.

But this much is clear: if the Pacers want any chance of winning this thing, they need Haliburton to take over, and early. No more disappearing acts for three quarters. No more reactionary play. He has to own the offense from the opening tip.

Because when he doesn’t, the Thunder look like the better team. And in Game 2, they absolutely were.