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When Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton posted 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, four steals and zero turnovers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, many analysts, fans and former players heralded him as a superstar. He did not embody that label in a 111-94 Game 5 loss to the New York Knicks, however. The 25-year-old scored a meager eight points on 2-of-7 shooting, blending into the background at Madison Square Garden.
Haliburton's performance drastically changed in the span of 48 hours, and so did the conversations surrounding him. ESPN hoops analyst and former No. 2 overall pick Jay Williams provided a candid assessment of the underwhelming outing.
“It was unacceptable last night,” he said on Friday's edition of “First Take.” “There is a huge level of accountability on Tyrese Haliburton…. When he is aggressive off the bat, when he scores and is looking to attack, they are a better team.”
.@RealJayWilliams says Tyrese Haliburton's play was "unacceptable" in Game 5 😯 pic.twitter.com/gqkniZRN3u
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 30, 2025
Pacers rely on Haliburton to spark their offense
Williams is expressing what Indiana and the two-time All-NBA Third-Team selection already know. Haliburton is a playmaker first and foremost, but he needs to record double-digit shot attempts if the Pacers are going to win a championship this season. The sporadic offense is a part of his game, though, which is why some people have hesitated to tag him as a superstar.
Williams is not one of those individuals, and he is not jumping ship now. Haliburton's lackluster Game 5 does not invalidate the overall magnificent run he has enjoyed during the 2025 NBA playoffs. He is the biggest reason Indiana is one win away from improbably advancing to the Finals, and that is precisely why Williams is calling for him to be more consistent. That is the burden upper-echelon players must carry, especially those who lead an underdog like the Pacers.
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“I still think Tyrese Haliburton is a superstar,” the 2001-02 AP National Player of the Year said. “This was the worst performance he has had in the playoffs. It is also a fact that he has dropped single-digits, I think it's happened like 13 times this season. Unacceptable again, but still, you cannot diminish the level of importance that he is to this team.”
Can Tyrese Haliburton break out his magic act once again?
Indiana has been praised for its balance throughout the postseason, but there comes a time when the top guy has to maintain a take-charge mentality. Although Haliburton has been terrific for almost this entire run, we have reached the stage where one passive contest could prove costly.
The two-time All-Star capped off an incomprehensible Pacers comeback versus the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, sinking a step-back 3-pointer off a missed free throw with 1.1 seconds left on the clock. He then scored four points on eight shots in a blowout home loss. He followed up his historic Game 4 versus the Knicks with a quiet night in MSG. Haliburton is prone to these lapses, but he also knows how to bounce back in a big way.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle and the rest of the squad will want him to get involved early in Game 6, as the franchise tries to close out the East in front of a rabid Gainbridge Fieldhouse this Saturday. Expect the narrative to swing wildly once again if Indiana gets the job done at home.
