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Tyrese Haliburton has not been a good on-ball defender throughout his career. The Cavs came into their second round series with the idea that they could do to him what they did to Herro. Haliburton saw a 19 percent increase in the amount of times he was targeted by the Cavs, which was the second-largest playoff increase among guards behind Herro. Unlike Herro, he was able to shed his pigeon label. He stayed in front of the ball for the most part, and the Pacers’ much-improved defense helped them beat a heavily-favored Cavs team. -via Sporting News / May 19, 2025
In his second head coaching stint here with the Pacers, with All-Star and Olympian Tyrese Haliburton the focal point, Carlisle is seeking a second NBA title to go with the one he got in Dallas in 2011. He’s now eight wins away, after his team dispatched the 64-win Cavaliers in five games Tuesday, sending Indiana to its second straight Eastern Conference finals appearance. “If your desire in life is to lead and to teach, NBA head coaching is the ultimate crucible,” Carlisle said to The Athletic Sunday night in his office ab0ut 25 minutes after his Pacers had dropped 80 points on Cleveland in an exquisite first half and won Game 4 of the series, shredding the Cavs’ 3-2 zone that had flummoxed the Pacers just 48 hours earlier. -via New York Times / May 16, 2025
It’s a momentous run that has been led by a not-so-overrated Tyrese Haliburton … and which has left numerous rival teams with the strong impression that free agent-to-be Myles Turner is not going to be gettable this summer. The rising expectation, league sources say, is that Turner will be extending his stay in the Hoosier State. -via marcstein.substack.com / May 16, 2025