Indiana Pacers Tyrese Haliburton enjoys playing with improved stretch

INDIANAPOLIS – Tyrese Haliburton has put together 10 great basketball quarters in a row. The Indiana Pacers lost 2-1 last Friday, and in Haliburton’s final five halves of basketball, he scored 67 points, had 27 assists and made 18 of his 35 three-point shots.

That’s a tall order for a player who struggled early in the 2024-25 season. It coincided with some good play from the Pacers, who outscored their opponents by 18 points in those ten quarters. With Haliburton on the floor, they were +26 in that span.

“His rhythm is fine. It’s really fine,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlsile said Monday. He was pleased with his stars Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, who worked together in the second half to free Haliburton in the win over the New Orleans Pelicans. “Those were huge plays.”

It’s not perfect, but it’s a big sign of the Pacers’ progress. They struggled as a team to open the year and Haliburton was sidelined. There are other issues for Indiana, but the decline of their star player from last season was their biggest concern.

These more effective performances of late have shown that Haliburton may be on the verge of a turnaround. He’s been able to cut through defenses and get past his man more easily lately, and the Pacers’ offense has been more fluid. This season, the Blue and Gold have been better on offense with Haliburton off the field but on the field (at least in numbers), but that trend has reversed in recent games.

It’s not just that Haliburton takes shots – he makes them. He has attempted more than 10 three-pointers in each of the last three games, something he only managed twice in his first 15 games. This shows that his confidence and ability to be open has improved.

What helped Tyrese Haliburton change things?

A mental shift led to Haliburton’s rise. He had a hard time pinpointing exactly why he struggled early in the season, but he got going on Monday night after scoring 34 points against the Pelicans. In this game, he was bouncing for marks and celebrating big plays in a way he hadn’t all season.

“What I just have to keep is my joy in the game of basketball. Everybody wants to say, ‘Be happy, have fun.’ That’s hard to do when you’re not playing well or losing, you know,” Haliburton said Monday night after scoring 34 points and 13 assists. “Distinguish the difference between happiness and joy, you know.”

Haliburton shapes so much of the Pacers identity. His ability to play in open space and with pace gets everyone else moving, and that’s how Indiana hopes to play for 48 minutes. When they move and are free, they look great.

This is Haliburton’s strength. His vision and creativity connect every part of this style. When he struggles, the Pacers are forced to slow down and figure things out. When he is sharp and plays with pace, the team reaches its peak.

This season, the Pacers have often failed to develop that identity. Recently, however, they’ve shown glimpses of last year’s style – one that resulted in a top-two offense and 47 wins. They played fast, had quick threes and generally looked much more powerful offensively. There are numerous factors that made this all possible, but Haiburton’s capture of joy is a big part of it.

“I have always had a joy in the game of basketball and a love and appreciation for what I do. I have dedicated my entire life to this game. So I think I was just starting to get frustrated with myself and it was creeping into the professional space, which was weighing on me,” Haliburton said. He needed basketball to have more fun again. “I think it’s just been great for me to keep that joy and that love and that passion for the game of basketball because I really love what I do.”

Haliburton had a long summer, coming off a run to the Eastern Conference Finals that almost reached June before recovering from an injury. A month later, he competed in the Olympics with Team USA. He then had a short recovery period before training camp with the Pacers began. Those are all enjoyable moments, but it’s not hard to see how basketball can feel like a job when it happens so frequently, especially when it extends beyond NBA duties.

But Haliburton had some joy this week and played well. The Pacers need him to keep going because when he’s bouncing around the floor and burying jumpers, they’re at their best.

Overall, this slump was a phase that Tyrese Haliburton will look back on and laugh at. He believes few will remember this route when he breaks out of it. If Haliburton continues to play freely and positively, he will be right.