After an NBA record-setting performance in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals where he became the first player ever to record at least 30 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds without committing a single turnover in a playoff game (he also set a new NBA record for the most assists without a turnover in a conference finals game, surpassing the previous mark held by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird), to say Tyrese Haliburton is coming into full form in the 2025 NBA Playoffs would be an understatement.
Although the 6’5,” 5th year Indiana Pacers guard was crucial in getting the team to the playoffs in the first place — defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round in 5 games and currently helping to secure a 3-1 series lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals — and his 18.6 points, 9.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds season average was by all means impressive, Haliburton has stepped his game up noticeably in the playoffs, particularly when it comes to dictating the Pacers offense and impactful playmaking decisions. Hali has also been phenomenal in the clutch, shooting over 80% on game tying/ending shots at the end of the games.
Despite all these recent accolades, Haliburton was rated “Most Overrated NBA Player” this season by his peers in a poll conducted by The Athletic.
Former Houston Rockets player Chandler Parsons thinks this resentment towards Haliburton stems from jealousy and instances of recent showboating from Haliburton, like when he mimicked the infamous Reggie Miller choke gesture in his game-tying shot against the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Notwithstanding, Parsons thinks that Haliburton has been “full of fire” in the playoffs and that he’s taking his game to a whole new level as a result.
“He is an entertainer, this is fun, this is great. Now, this is playoff basketball, he is dominating the series, they’re up 3-1, and he did the choke thing in Game 1. Nothing has changed. I think this is why the overrated stuff, players hating, jealously happened. He busts your ass and tells you about it. I think it’s great, he has that fire in him,” Parsons said on a recent episode of the “Run It Back” show on FanDuel TV. “He is taking his game to a whole another level right before our eyes.”
Haliburton’s play hasn’t gone unnoticed by former Hall of Fame point guard and two-time NBA Champion with the Detroit Pistons, Isiah Thomas either. He even compared Haliburton to legendary player Magic Johnson in light of Hali’s recent record setting performance.
“He was coming out in a draft from Iowa. People say his shot was messed up. Everything was wrong, but the thing that you missed the most was how gifted he is,” Thomas said on a recent episode of NBA TV. “And the gifted players, and I’m gonna use Magic Johnson as an example. Magic, they were saying that everything he did was wrong â the no-look, the shot was bad, this was bad, he didn’tâŠBut what you missed when you’re evaluating talent is the specialness of the gifts that we’re watching and seeing.”
Do you think that Tyrese Haliburton’s record-setting playoffs game against the Knicks in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals is proof that Hali is taking his game to a whole new level? Or has he always been a player of this caliber waiting for his chance to shine? Let us know in the comments.
