Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 4 Masterclass Reveals Why Indiana Can’t Win Without Him—Is He the Secret to the Pacers’ Future?

There’s something electric buzzing through Gainbridge Fieldhouse — an energy sparked by a performance so precise, so utterly commanding, that it’s hard not to sit up and take notice. Tyrese Haliburton didn’t just play; he orchestrated a symphony of basketball brilliance against the Knicks, dropping a phenomenal 32 points, 12 boards, and 15 assists, all while protecting the basketball with absolute surgical precision: zero turnovers. This was more than a stat line. It was a statement. The Indiana Pacers surged ahead to a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference finals, standing just a single victory away from their first NBA Finals berth in a quarter-century. Yet, despite the grandeur of the numbers, Coach Rick Carlisle threw a curveball during his postgame press conference — acknowledging the feat but reminding everyone that the magic lies deeper, in the team’s collective heartbeat and hard-earned synergy. It’s a delicate dance of individual brilliance and team ethos, with Haliburton leading the charge — not just as a scorer or playmaker, but as the unselfish, relentless spirit driving this young Pacers squad upward. With young stars stepping up and seasoned veterans paving the way, Indiana is riding a wave of growth and promise. And at its helm? A guard who’d rather do anything but turn the ball over, whose game is unfolding into something truly special. Buckle up — this isn’t just game-winning basketball; it’s the dawn of something big. LEARN MOREAdvertisement“Look, he’s had a lot of things happen this year,” Carlisle said. “You know, the year’s been filled with ups and downs. He’s remained remarkably resilient and steadfast in his belief in what we’re doing and who he is. We just need him to continue to lead us.”“He runs our team,” Siakam said. “When he brings the ball up, the pace he brings it with, just the way he plays … yeah, it makes our team go. For me, I just enjoy being a part of it — playing with him, just knowing that he cares about putting us all into the position to be successful. That’s what makes him special.”

“He runs our team,” Siakam said. “When he brings the ball up, the pace he brings it with, just the way he plays … yeah, it makes our team go. For me, I just enjoy being a part of it — playing with him, just knowing that he cares about putting us all into the position to be successful. That’s what makes him special.”

“He runs our team,” Siakam said. “When he brings the ball up, the pace he brings it with, just the way he plays … yeah, it makes our team go. For me, I just enjoy being a part of it — playing with him, just knowing that he cares about putting us all into the position to be successful. That’s what makes him special.”

“He runs our team,” Siakam said. “When he brings the ball up, the pace he brings it with, just the way he plays … yeah, it makes our team go. For me, I just enjoy being a part of it — playing with him, just knowing that he cares about putting us all into the position to be successful. That’s what makes him special.”

“He runs our team,” Siakam said. “When he brings the ball up, the pace he brings it with, just the way he plays … yeah, it makes our team go. For me, I just enjoy being a part of it — playing with him, just knowing that he cares about putting us all into the position to be successful. That’s what makes him special.”

“He runs our team,” Siakam said. “When he brings the ball up, the pace he brings it with, just the way he plays … yeah, it makes our team go. For me, I just enjoy being a part of it — playing with him, just knowing that he cares about putting us all into the position to be successful. That’s what makes him special.”

“He runs our team,” Siakam said. “When he brings the ball up, the pace he brings it with, just the way he plays … yeah, it makes our team go. For me, I just enjoy being a part of it — playing with him, just knowing that he cares about putting us all into the position to be successful. That’s what makes him special.”

“He runs our team,” Siakam said. “When he brings the ball up, the pace he brings it with, just the way he plays … yeah, it makes our team go. For me, I just enjoy being a part of it — playing with him, just knowing that he cares about putting us all into the position to be successful. That’s what makes him special.”

Combine that with stepped-up effort on the defensive end — 12 defensive boards, four steals — and you’ve got a performance for the ages.AdvertisementHe said “It’s about winning” twice, “I just want to impact winning” once, and “How can I impact winning?” once, bringing us to four discrete instances of emphasizing how much he wants to win.“When I got traded to the Pacers, or just being a basketball fan, you think of all the guys that come before you,” Haliburton said. “And they’ve tried to help put this organization in a better place than they found it. And that’s what I’m trying to do, as well.”