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Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton reacts to Pascal Siakam winning ECF MVP over him
The post Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton reacts to Pascal Siakam winning ECF MVP over him appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Indiana Pacers completed an improbable run through the Eastern Conference on Saturday night, beating the New York Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 of the conference finals to punch their ticket to the 2025 NBA Finals. Advertisement Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam led the way in the upset, but it was pretty stunning when Siakam was named the MVP of the series during the celebration after Game 6. Haliburton seemed to be in the driver's seat for the award the whole way, but it was the former NBA Champion with the Toronto Raptors who won in a very close 5-4 vote. Haliburton even seemed to be expecting the award and was making his way to the front of the stage as Ernie Johnson was announcing the winner. Despite that, Haliburton showed plenty of love to his star teammate after the win. 'It's special man, when we brought him here, we envisioned doing something like this, doing something special,' Haliburton said. 'It's really special that he's been here. He's been like a big brother to me. Somebody that I can trust, somebody that I can really lean on and talk to. Just somebody that can always keep me steady.' Advertisement Siakam and Haliburton both diced up the Knicks time and time again over the course of this series. Haliburton's heroics helped the Pacers pull out an improbable Game 1 comeback, while Siakam had a big Game 2 to help Indiana take a 2-0 lead. Both had big nights in Game 4 as the Pacers took control of the series at home. Both stars also showed up when Indiana needed them to in Game 6. Siakam finished the closeout contest with 31 points on a very efficient 10-of-18 shooting while drilling a trio of 3-pointers. Haliburton controlled the pace of the game and set the table for his teammates as usual, finishing with 21 points and 13 assists. Beating the juggernaut Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals will be a tall order for the Pacers, who will surely need standout performances from both Haliburton and Siakam in order to pull off the upset.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tyrese Haliburton's classy trophy gesture to Pascal Siakam after Pacers' ECF win
The post Tyrese Haliburton's classy trophy gesture to Pascal Siakam after Pacers' ECF win appeared first on ClutchPoints. There may be a video circling around showing Tyrese Haliburton expecting himself to be the recipient of the Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors (and not winning after the award was given to Pascal Siakam), but make no mistake about it, the Indiana Pacers have as harmonious of a locker room as it can get. It's this unselfishness that has powered them all the way to the 2025 NBA Finals, where they look to continue their miracle run by defeating an Oklahoma City Thunder squad that has 80 wins to its name this season. Advertisement Haliburton is the kind of player who celebrates his teammates' accomplishments as his own, living up to his goal of being a 'good mom' for the Pacers, and he showed this by giving Siakam the opportunity to pose for a photo while holding both the ECF MVP and the ECF championship trophy. 'Come on, P. Here. Yeah, you gotta hold both,' Haliburton told Siakam in the locker room, via footage from the official NBA account on X (formerly Twitter). But beyond giving Siakam the ECF trophy as well for him to hold, Haliburton was one of his biggest hype men; Haliburton was giving Siakam 'MVP' chants, which was well-deserved for the way the latter stabilized a lot of things for the Pacers in their ECF triumph over the New York Knicks. Advertisement There is very little ego in this Pacers team, and this has powered them to play at a level better than the sum of their parts. It's this immaculate locker room chemistry that they have that gives them a shot against the Thunder in the NBA Finals even if the odds are stacked against them. Pacers look to continue being the team of destiny Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images All playoffs long, it seems like the Pacers are being chosen by the basketball gods to go all the way and reach the mountaintop of the NBA. In three of the playoff series they've won thus far this year, they made one miracle comeback in each — overturning a seven-point deficit in the final few seconds of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers while stunning the Knicks with a comeback from 15 down with less than two minutes to go in Game 1 of the ECF. Now, the Thunder will pose a different challenge; OKC has almost no weak spots defensively for Haliburton and Siakam to exploit, while they also have the pace to stymie the Pacers' run and gun approach. But the Pacers have faced long odds in the past and have triumphed, so they should not be counted out in any capacity in this year's Finals.
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'Makes you dangerous' – Tyrese Haliburton earns high praise from OKC Thunder's Jalen Williams ahead of NBA Finals Game 1
Tyrese Haliburton. Image via: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images As the Oklahoma City Thunder prepare to host the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, all eyes are on Tyrese Haliburton. The young Pacers star has emerged as one of the most influential players in this year's postseason. With both teams boasting deep rosters and youthful cores, Thunder forward Jalen Williams offered genuine admiration for Haliburton, explaining the Pacers guard's unique qualities that make him a real threat on the biggest stage. Jalen Williams applauds Tyrese Haliburton's confidence and leadership Tyrese Haliburton has been at the heart of the Indiana Pacers' historic playoff run. After leading Indiana to its first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years, he's now drawing attention from fellow competitors while being the center of discussion among fans and analysts. Jalen Williams, who has also been one of the star players in the Thunder's own rise, didn't hesitate when asked about what makes Haliburton special. 'What makes him very good is that he's very confident,' Williams said. 'To be able to play as well as he's been playing through a lot of the overrated stuff, and for him to be able to play through that, you've got to tip your hat to him for that. Just an extremely confident individual, and I think that, regardless of who you are, makes you dangerous.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Knee Pain After 50? Try This Before Reaching for Pills Read More Undo Haliburton proved his value during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks, where he averaged 21 points, 10.3 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. His playmaking helped the Pacers overcome seasoned opponents, despite not winning the ECF MVP. He has been a major driving force behind Indiana's deep playoff push. Williams also pointed out the shared DNA between both squads, 'They are pretty close to us in regards to like how close they are as a team. Obviously, I'm not in their locker room, so I don't know. But outside looking in, they look like they have a lot of fun playing with each other, and their crowd is really into it, like their city loves them.' Both teams have grown from within, relying on player development rather than high-profile offseason trades. The Pacers made no significant roster changes, while the Thunder's only additions were Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. Williams believes that chemistry and shared experience are the X-factors, 'When everybody's allowed to be themselves, I think you get the best growth from your team,' he said. 'We've all had the same approach… I think the Pacers probably have something to do with that as well.' Also Read: Vanessa Bryant finally breaks silence on wild pregnancy rumors with a wild response featuring a Rihanna meme Haliburton's performance throughout this season has also been commendable. The Pacers guard has made the Organization's dream come true and might as well win the Championship over the Thunder. Regardless, fans can expect a high-end, tough battle in the NBA finals.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
On this day: Raef LaFrentz born; Tom Boswell drafted; Jayson Tatum wins '23 ECF MVP
On this day: Raef LaFrentz born; Tom Boswell drafted; Jayson Tatum wins '23 ECF MVP On this day, the Boston Celtics selected two players of note in the 1975 NBA draft. The first was Jerome Anderson, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard out of the University of West Virginia, who was taken with the 53rd pick. The Mullens, West Virginia, native won a championship with the Celtics in his lone season with the team (1975-76). Anderson recorded 2.8 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game over 5.7 minutes per game in his rookie season. Anderson's tenure in the league was not an especially long one, however. He failed to stick with the team beyond that season. In October 1976, he was waived and picked up by the Indiana Pacers, his final stop in the NBA. Boston drafted power forward Tom Boswell, a 6-foot-9 big man out of South Carolina, with the 17th pick. Boswell also won a ring with the Celtics at the end of the 1975-76 season and played three seasons with the team. It is also the birthday of former Celtic big man Raef LaFrentz, who was born in Hampton, Iowa, in 1976. The Iowan came from the Dallas Mavericks to Boston in a deal with Chris Mills, Jiri Welsch, and draft assets in exchange for Tony Delk and Antoine Walker. LaFrentz was with the Celtics for three seasons (2003-2006), averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 points and 1.3 assists per contest. He was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers with Dan Dickau and Randy Foye for Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair and draft considerations. Finally, it is also the anniversary of Jayson Tatum winning the first Larry Bird Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player award, coming after dispatching the Miami Heat, 100-96, in Game 7. "It's an honor," said Tatum postgame via ESPN's Nick Friedell. "It still doesn't even seem real right now. I'm just extremely happy and grateful for all of this." "Regardless of how long I've been in the league, I'm not too far removed from when I was in high school and when I was dreaming about moments like this."
