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Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton has earned Paul Pierce’s trust over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of their NBA Finals showdown. Haliburton and Gilgeous-Alexander have each propelled their franchises to their first NBA Finals appearances in over a decade. The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks in a grueling six-game showdown, while Oklahoma City Thunder dismantled the Timberwolves in five.
The Pacers return to the grand stage for the first time since 2000, when they lost in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Meanwhile, the Thunder last made the Finals in 2012 and fell to LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
Appearing on SPEAK, Paul Pierce responded to Joy Taylor’s question about who he trusts more in the Finals: Haliburton or Gilgeous-Alexander?
"[Tyrese] Haliburton. SGA is a scorer. They need him to score 30 points, 40… you don't rely on [Hali] to get you 30… he's gonna get you a 15 and 13 game and that can be enough for him to win."
Paul Pierce on who he trusts more.
(via @SpeakOnFS1)pic.twitter.com/FujLa9Kcef
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 4, 2025
He prefaced his choice by saying, “All right, I’m gonna say this, but don’t get mad,” before revealing his pick: “I know the obvious choice is going to be SGA, but I chose Haliburton.”
Pierce then explained his reasoning.
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“SGA is a scorer. They need him to score 30, 32, 40 points. He’s the leading scorer in the NBA. Shown to be unstoppable. But I feel like you could devise a game plan to keep the ball out of his hands and slow him down. I saw him slow down a bit in Denver. In that series, it was tough on him to score. They rely on that.”
In contrast, Pierce praised Haliburton’s consistency and unselfish approach.
“You don’t rely on Haliburton to get you 30. You don’t even rely on him to get you 25. He’s going to get you a 15 and a 13 game, and that can be enough for him to win. Whereas I’m not sure if SGA getting you 15 or 17 can beat you.”
Pierce pointed to Haliburton’s playmaking as a key to Indiana’s success.
“He still gives me between 10 and 15 assists every night. That’s almost a guarantee. The way he moves the ball, the way he pushes the pace—and if he gives me 13 and 15—I can count on that being enough because he gets so many other people involved. And that is good enough for Indiana to win. So that’s why I go with Haliburton on this one.”
With Haliburton’s fast-paced facilitation and Gilgeous-Alexander’s elite scoring arsenal, the NBA Finals promises a clash of styles and stars. The Pacers are chasing their first NBA Championship in franchise history, while the Thunder aim to bring a long-awaited title back to Oklahoma City. Two rising teams. Two transformative leaders. One electrifying series. The stage is set—and the basketball world will be watching.
