Tyrese Haliburton got off to a Stephen Curry-esque start in the 2023 NBA 3-Point Contest, so much so that everyone thought he's going to win the whole thing. However, the Indiana Pacers guard flopped big time in the final round as Damian Lillard ended up taking the trophy.

The Pacers All-Star, however, has a pretty good idea why he failed to sustain his momentum in the finale.

Haliburton erupted for 31 points in the opening round of the NBA 3-Point Contest. A lot of people criticized his rather bizarre shooting form, but he got it done and fans were hyped to see him tie Curry's record for most points in a round in the competition.

In the final round–where he shot last and fought against his Pacers teammate Buddy Hield and Lillard–Haliburton struggled to make his shots and ended up with just 17 points. It was definitely a rather disappointing way to end the competition, especially after the huge expectations he put on himself following his hot start.

Speaking on NBA on TNT, Haliburton admitted that his trash talking may have been the culprit why he was so unlucky in the final round. He shared that he was trying to be humble with Buddy Hield in the first round, but after he topped the opener, he told his Pacers teammate that he “lost.”

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At least Haliburton learned a valuable lesson here: always be humble and, well, never to talk trash on Hield. Hopefully, he gets a second chance in the NBA 3-Point Contest and get the job done.