Tyrese Haliburton has had his fair share of detractors despite being in the middle of his best season as a professional thus far. One pundit even went as far as to call the Indiana Pacers' franchise star a “wannabe All-Star”. However, Haliburton has shown time and time again that he belongs among the league's best – and on Monday night, he once again did just that after putting on a clinic in a high-octane matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.
In 37 minutes of action, Haliburton did everything he could to will his Pacers to victory. He tallied 40 points and 16 assists, a performance that would result in a win on most nights, but it wasn't enough in a 147-143 loss to the Sixers. Nevertheless, this certainly was a performance befitting of the superstar title, and he surely proved that after putting his name in exclusive company following an admirable effort.
Tyrese Haliburton just became the second player in the NBA to tally 40 or more points along with 15 or more dimes in a single game this season, joining presumptive MVP favorite Nikola Jokic as the only players to do so, per StatMuse.
It was during Christmas when Jokic accomplished the feat; he notched an eye-popping triple-double that night, pouring in 41 points on 16-25 shooting from the field to go along with 15 rebounds and 15 assists to lead his Denver Nuggets to a 128-125 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns.
While the Pacers star will definitely be proud of the effort he put up to combat Joel Embiid's 42-point effort to lead the way for the Sixers, seeing this incredible performance end in a loss should definitely sting. After all, the Pacers need every win they can get in the heat of the battle for the Eastern Conference play-in spots.
Despite the Pacers' continued tumble down the standings, however, Tyrese Haliburton's continued elite play should provide some cause for excitement for their future. Perhaps with the Pacers losing steam to end the year, they could decide to improve their lottery odds instead of swimming against the current. But Haliburton's presence ensures that the Pacers have a fighting chance every night, regardless of opponent.
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