Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton managed just eight points as the Knicks dominated Game 5, winning 111-94 and keeping their playoff hopes alive.
The Pacers never found their rhythm Thursday night. They trailed the entire game, falling behind by as many as 22 points at Madison Square Garden. For the first time this postseason, Indiana couldn’t crack the 100-point mark.
"We’re a resilient group," Haliburton said after the game. "We always want to respond when things don’t go well after a game like that. We understand what the stakes are. … We’re fine. There’s no need to panic or anything."
The numbers tell a troubling story.
Indiana’s starting five combined for just 37 points – the second-lowest total for any team this postseason.
The Pacers also coughed up 20 turnovers, their worst mark during this playoff run.
Pascal Siakam led the starters with a modest 15 points, while Bennedict Mathurin provided a spark off the bench with 23. Obi Toppin added 11 as a reserve, making him the only other Pacer to hit double figures.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle didn’t sugarcoat the performance.
"To start the game, we just didn’t have the right level of force, the right level of attitude necessary in this environment," he said. "It was a bad start; we never had a lead in the game. There were stretches where we got a little bit of traction, but never enough."
The lackluster showing came just days after Haliburton made NBA history.
From Historic to Humbled
In Game 4, Haliburton was nothing short of brilliant. He put up a jaw-dropping triple-double – 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists without a single turnover.
No player in playoff history had ever recorded at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists without turning the ball over since the NBA started tracking turnovers in 1977-78.
He joined elite company that night, becoming just the third player ever to post 30+ points, 10+ boards, and 15+ assists in a playoff game. The other two? Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.
But Thursday was a different story.
Haliburton took just seven shots all night – his lowest total this postseason – making only two. His impact on the offense plummeted, as he scored or assisted on just 24% of the Pacers’ points. In the previous four games, that figure was 41%.
"I got to be better, and I’ll be better in Game 6," Haliburton promised. "We got to be better as a group. Our pace has to be better. That starts with me. I got to be better there. As a group, we’ve shown that we can have some success this playoffs. This was a rough showing for us tonight. So we’ll watch the film, see where we can get better and be great."
Despite the setback, Indiana still leads the series 3-2.
The Pacers haven’t lost consecutive games since March, which bodes well for their chances at home in Game 6. History is also on their side – only 13 teams have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a playoff series.
Can the Knicks become the 14th?
We’ll find out Saturday night when the series shifts back to Indianapolis for what could be a series-clinching Game 6 for the Pacers.
