There's something special about the way the Indiana Pacers play basketball, and it comes across in the numbers. The Pacers are currently 2nd in the league in pace, 1st in points per game, 1st in field goal percentage, and their 122.1 offensive rating is not only 1st in the league, but the highest in the history of the NBA. And truthfully, it all starts with one man.

Tyrese Haliburton plays the game of basketball with a palpable, tangible joy. On the floor he's smiling like he just met Booker T, playing loose and free, and because he's passing the rock around so frequently, he seems to be infecting all of his teammates with those good vibes germs. And all season long, we haven't seen Haliburton or any other point guard dishing it off like the Pacers point guard was on Thursday night.

Against their Central Division rival Chicago Bulls, Haliburton finished with a ridiculous 21 points, 20 assists, 0 turnovers stat line… only the second of it's kind since 1985. And after the game, Haliburton discussed the performance with the same unbridled enthusiasm he plays the game with.

Of course, Haliburton would be most pleased with the fact that he finished the win against the Bulls without a single turnover, the fifth time this season he's finished a game with at least ten assists and not a single turnover. In those five games, the Pacers are 4-1, and that includes two In-Season Tournament wins over Boston and Milwaukee.

If it holds up, Tyrese Haliburton's 12.4 assists per game would rank as the 16th highest total in NBA history, per Basketball-Reference. Factor in his nearly 25 points per game and 50-42-85 shooting splits, and we're witnessing one of the most prolific and efficient offensive seasons in the history of the league.

No wonder Tyrese Haliburton is so happy.