He has taken on the form of a superhero for a team very few thought would be in the NBA Finals.
Tyrese Haliburton is rising as a superstar before our eyes in the playoffs for Indiana. He’s taken the big shots in crunch moments in matchups from the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs to the finals. Whether it was against Milwaukee, Cleveland, New York, or Oklahoma City, the ball seems to find itself in Haliburton’s hands at the right time.
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FINAL SECONDS?
GAME ON THE LINE?That’s Tyrese Haliburton’s music ????
Tyrese has done it in EVERY. SINGLE. ROUND. https://t.co/heI0ELIivW pic.twitter.com/Jlhwg3e4UP
— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2025
The 25-year-old came up cash money once again Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Indiana’s Game 1 NBA Finals win was ‘strangest thing,’ per Ringer podcast
He was able to ruin a near 40-point (38) performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with a big shot. Haliburton did not have his best game, scoring jut 14 points on six-of-13 shooting, but he was special at the moment it mattered.
He continues to answer Stephen A. Smith’s thoughts in crucial moments where he feels Haliburton is not a star yet.
Game 2 is Sunday in OKC and it will another opportunity for Haliburton to produce.
Stephen M. Smith is a writer for Ball Exclusives. You can follow him on X via @CoachingMSmith.
