Tyrese Haliburton is the engine that drives Indiana. And right now, the engine is misfiring.
The All-Star point guard entered the Eastern Conference semis nursing a bad back and mired in an extended slump. And he hit bottom in Monday’s 121-117 Game 1 collapse against the Knicks at the sold-out Garden, dragging the Pacers down with him.
Haliburton had just six points — less than one-third of his season average — and finished at minus-12. He had eight assists, four steals, three turnovers and one nightmarish performance on the big stage.
“Obviously, frustrating playing ahead in Game 1 and feeling like we should’ve won that game. At the end of the day it starts with me, and I’ll be better in Game 2,” said Haliburton, who said the Knicks didn’t do anything out of the ordinary to slow him down. “Nah. They’re a good defensive team, [but] I’ve just got to be better.”
This wasn’t the first game of Haliburton’s malaise; just the most glaring in the most important moment.
But Haliburton has been off his game since a midseason hamstring injury that caused him to miss 10 of 11 games in January.
Before that absence, he averaged 23.6 points and 12.6 assists on 49.6 percent shooting and 40 percent from deep. Since coming back, he hasn’t been quite the same.
From his Jan. 30 return to the end of the regular-season, Haliburton averaged 16.8 points and 9.3 assists on 45.5 percent shooting and 32.4 shooting from beyond the arc.
In Indiana’s first-round series win over the Bucks, his shooting bottomed out, falling to 43.5 percent and just 29.6 percent from 3.
The point guard matchup against Jalen Brunson was a mismatch. The Knicks star had 43 points, including 21 in the pivotal fourth quarter when Haliburton went scoreless.
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In the fateful final four minutes of the contest, Brunson poured in 12 points while Haliburton committed three turnovers and was too impatient looking for a screen, resulting in Myles Turner picking up an offensive foul with 12 seconds left.
“We just didn’t get enough stops. Donte [DiVincenzo] hit a big shot there, probably should have rotated harder,” Haliburton said. “And then just a bad break offensively. I should’ve waited for the screen. Yeah, too many turnovers down the stretch for me. I’ve got to be better.”
He’ll have to be.
“I mean, I think he’s been a focal point for everyone’s defensive gameplan all year,” said T.J. McConnell. “I don’t think (anybody lays off him). There hasn’t been a game where I’ve seen him against a team and drop coverage.
“He gets trapped every time he comes off and pick and roll. And the best thing about Tyrese is he won’t force a bad shot. He gets others involved and we trust him wholeheartedly. With the ball in his hands every single time.”