Tyrese Haliburton Joins Elite List Among NBA Legends LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, And More

This list is led by LeBron James (8 shots), followed by Reggie Miller (5 shots). Then Haliburton is tied with Kobe Bryant and Khris Middleton on 3rd with 4 shots made in clutch moments. This 14-point run marked the third time in these playoffs where the Pacers pulled off a 7-point+ comeback in the final minute of the game and eventually won. Haliburton finished the game with 31 points, 11 assists, and 4 rebounds.

What Tyrese Haliburton Did After Buzzer Beater In Game 1 ECF

Haliburton tracked back on a drive in during the final possession in an attempt to make the three-point shot to win the game. When the shot went in, Haliburton put his hands on his neck to do the choke sign celebration to pay an ode to Reggie Miller, who was present in the building as a commentator from the sidelines.

This celebration was a tribute to Miller's 1994 playoff series celebration against the Knicks when he nailed the game-tying three-point shot and did the same thing. However, Haliburton had not yet realized that his toe was touching the line, and it was counted as a two to tie the game. As a result, Haliburton felt his misconception led him to waste the opportunity of doing that celebration properly. 

"Everybody's been wanting me to do it. I was going to hold it for the right time, that felt appropriate. And then, you know it went to overtime, so we're going to have to save it for later,” said Haliburton after the game.

"I wasn't like plotting on it or anything, I just… Everybody wanted me to do it like last year, at some different point, but it's just got to, it's got to feel right, and it felt right at the time… If I would have known it was a two, I would not have done it. So I think I might have wasted it. If I do it again, then people might say I'm aura farming, so I'm not; I don't plan on using it again", said Haliburton when asked when he planned to do Reggie Miller's celebration.

This is the second season in a row where the Pacers have reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Haliburton has averaged 18.7 points, 9.5 assists, and 5.4 rebounds in 11 games in this season's playoffs. He is on the verge of cementing his name among the all-time greats of the Pacers if he manages to help the Pacers beat the Knicks and go to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000.