Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton's historic stat line brings new Chris Paul appreciation
The post Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton's historic stat line brings new Chris Paul appreciation appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Tyrese Haliburton delivered a historic performance on Tuesday night, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 130-121 Game 4 win over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals and pushing his team to a commanding 3-1 series lead. The All-Star guard finished with 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, and four steals while shooting 11-of-23 from the field. He recorded a game-high plus-minus of +16 and did not commit a single turnover.
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Haliburton's stat line marked a first in NBA playoff history. Since turnovers began being officially tracked in the 1977-78 season, no player had ever recorded at least 30 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds with zero turnovers in a postseason game. He joins Oscar Robertson and Nikola Jokic as the only players to ever reach those point, rebound, and assist totals in a playoff game — but neither did so without a turnover.
Tyrese Haliburton's mistake-free mastery in Game 4 deepens Chris Paul comparisons as Pacers near NBA Finals
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
The performance once again fueled comparisons to veteran point guard Chris Paul. Known for his elite decision-making and ball security, Paul has long been considered the gold standard for floor generals in the modern era.
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ClutchPoints reporter Tomer Azarly noted on X, formerly known as Twitter, 'Tyrese Haliburton just recorded his 23rd career game of 10 assists and 0 turnovers, his 1st in the postseason. Chris Paul has 60(!!!) regular season games and 7 playoff games of 10 assists and 0 turnovers.'
The conversation surrounding Haliburton's similarities to Paul intensified earlier in the week when former NBA forward Marcus Morris appeared on ESPN's First Take and drew a direct comparison.
'I think we're just so used to saying a superstar is athletic in a bigger market,' Morris said. 'What Haliburton is doing is similar to what Chris Paul's doing. We said Chris Paul was a superstar, right? Chris Paul was the ultimate general… he made guys better, he's won games.'
The Pacers have now won three straight games and can close out the series on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Game 5 tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET and will air on TNT. If Indiana advances, it would mark the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance since 2000.
Haliburton's efficient, high-impact performance has defined Indiana's postseason run. With each passing game, the comparisons to Paul gain more weight — not only in play style but in the rare ability to control the pace, elevate teammates, and perform on the biggest stage without mistakes.
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