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Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton gave a strong declaration after his huge win over the Boston Celtics. Rick Carlisle's team picked up a much-needed victory after losing to its Eastern Conference rival by 37 points two days ago. The Pacers were led by their star point guard, who put up an efficient 31 points just a few games before his dismal four-point showing against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Knowing his team needed this win, Tyrese was fired up in the postgame about Indiana's resolve to its recent adversity.
“We knew we were going to respond…we know who we are.”
There's plenty of time for the Pacers to regain their 2024 postseason form
Despite playing in the Eastern Conference Finals less than eight months ago, Rick Carlisle's team has had an uneven season so far. Indiana currently sits at 16-17 and eighth in the standings. While the Pacers have slightly improved on defense this regular season, the offense has taken a step down. After finishing second in the league in offensive rating, Indiana has dropped to tenth overall.
Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith, starters from last year's playoff team, have struggled with injuries this season—particularly Nesmith, who has only played six games this year. However, the overriding narrative has been Tyrese Haliburton's drop in play. The All-NBA point guard has seen his stats drop across almost all categories to this point in the regular season.
If Haliburton and Pascal Siakam do not regain the All-Star form they are clearly capable of, this Pacers team will not be primed for another postseason run. Sunday night was the kind of performance Indiana would like to see more often. There was balanced scoring across the board. Six players hit double figures, including Jarace Walker, who scored twelve points.
Walker is starting to see more time on the floor and is taking advantage of it, scoring in double figures in three straight games. The former Houston Cougar is a vital player for Indiana's future. At 6'7, 235 lbs, Walker has the defensive versatility this team needs to realistically contend for a title soon. The more polished the 21-year-old becomes on offense, the better.
Overall, Tyrese Haliburton's comments indicate that the fighting spirit that this team had earlier this calendar year in the postseason is still there. There is still plenty of room for optimism going forward with this franchise. But this team needs to be more consistent and put forth the effort it did on Sunday more often. Should the Pacers raise their floor more consistently, they can shoot up the Eastern Conference standings.
