Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton goes off backboard for ‘particular’ help

NEW YORK — As Pascal Siakam watched Tyrese Haliburton make his newest game-breaking move — this time by throwing the ball off the backboard to himself after which firing it out to his new All-Star teammate within the nook — there was just one thought crossing Siakam’s thoughts.

“Simply make it,” Siakam advised ESPN with fun inside Madison Sq. Backyard’s visiting locker room following Indiana’s 125-111 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday night time.

Siakam did simply that, burying a 3-pointer within the nook in entrance of New York’s bench with slightly below eight minutes to go within the third quarter, placing the Pacers up by eight and forcing a timeout from Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.

It was simply considered one of many highlights for the Pacers, who shot 61% from the sphere and went 14-for-29 from 3-point vary as they claimed their third victory of their previous 4 video games.

There was just one play, nevertheless, that anybody was centered on afterward.

“One attribute that each one nice gamers have is resourcefulness and the power, in a break up second, to invent one thing particular,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned of Haliburton’s move. “And he did simply that.

“That is a play that created momentum for us. And, if for some motive that possession was unsuccessful, it might have created a whole lot of momentum for the Knicks. The one phrase I can actually say is simply, it is simply particular … simply particular stuff.”

For Haliburton, it was a particular night time on just a few ranges. He claimed his first victory at Madison Sq. Backyard, one thing he was completely satisfied to remind everybody — together with the locker room attendants — after the sport. It additionally was the primary recreation during which he has performed a minimum of half-hour since his newest return from a hamstring harm that has bothered him for the previous month.

And, on high of it, he pulled off a brand new signature play, one thing he mentioned he truly contemplated attempting within the first half, earlier than discovering the possibility to do it within the third quarter.

“I’ve by no means completed that earlier than,” Haliburton mentioned with a smile after ending with 22 factors and 12 assists in half-hour. “You see so many guys within the NBA attempting [to make plays off the backboard].

“I used to be going to attempt it within the first half, a little bit off the appropriate slot, nevertheless it was form of a bizarre angle. In transition, it simply felt like there was a whole lot of room within the paint. So, yeah, simply enjoying basketball, having enjoyable.”

It is exhausting to not have enjoyable enjoying with Haliburton, who led the Pacers to the in-season event championship recreation and has them sitting in sixth place within the Jap Convention. However Indiana is just one recreation forward of the eighth-place Miami Warmth within the standings, and tied within the loss column.

A part of the rationale for that’s Haliburton’s nagging hamstring harm, which has stored him from getting prolonged time enjoying with Siakam, who got here to Indiana in a blockbuster commerce final month from the Toronto Raptors. Siakam has shortly settled in as Indiana’s second possibility, and he had 19 factors, 6 rebounds and three assists in opposition to New York.

This was the eighth recreation the 2 stars have performed collectively for the reason that commerce, although Haliburton has performed in all eight beneath restricted minutes due to his hamstring. And, as Siakam noticed Saturday, one has to get accustomed to Haliburton’s stage of creativity, and he is nonetheless adjusting to it.

“We had a pair turnovers, him wanting and searching me off after which I am pondering he was doing one thing else after which he passes it,” Siakam mentioned. “So I simply acquired to love all the time be prepared and we acquired to determine rhythms. Him understanding my rhythms and me understanding additionally his rhythms. I undoubtedly have not performed with somebody like him earlier than, so I am simply studying on the fly and, and I believe the extra we’re on the market we’ll get snug.”