The only bad thing about the Pacers' Game 4 blowout win was that it woke up a different New York Knicks beast in Game 5. For the second game in a row, the winning team won by at least 30 points. The home team has yet to lose.
The Knicks were without several key players, and it looked like the Pacers were without their primary player. Tyrese Haliburton made himself an afterthought. He shot 5-of-9 from the field and 1-of-4 from three for 13 points in 34 minutes. Andrew Nembhard nearly outscored Haliburton, as he finished with 11 points.
In Game 4, Haliburton claimed he couldn't be guarded. It didn't take long for his words to haunt him. Not only did Knicks fans have a field day, but NBA Twitter and media members did, too.
Tyrese Haliburton dilly-dallies around the perimeter too much on offense. Lacks aggression in the paint. No willingness to take midrange. Too much of a cone on defense. Aloof off-ball. An inexplicably bad Game 5. He needs to take this offseason to figure out who he wants to be. pic.twitter.com/NPbAcEQHav
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 15, 2024
Everyone has bad games, but having one on basketball's biggest stage less than a year after he signed a max extension isn't the best look.
Knicks Twitter claps back at Tyrese Haliburton for terrible Game 5
There are far too many good tweets to include, but here are some of the best from New York's 121-91 win.
after proclaiming he cant be guarded, tyrese haliburton took it upon himself to GUARD himself pic.twitter.com/5dAoDCEwkO
— Kyle🇹🇹 (@kyleburndley) May 15, 2024
Tyrese Haliburton with a chance to go up 3-2 at MSG pic.twitter.com/y17x0ylaMY
— Dylan Hornik (@_Hornik_) May 15, 2024
Tyrese Haliburton’s game 5 summarized: pic.twitter.com/r8NWlfSJ0Z
— Kev (@klew24) May 15, 2024
Tyrese Haliburton: pic.twitter.com/iCBoPoJ9Lk
— Cromartie Jr. (@SpyroKush) May 15, 2024
I might regret tweeting this but am I the only one who hasn't noticed Tyrese Haliburton AT ALL in this game?
— Knicks Memes (@KnicksMemes) May 15, 2024
So many Knicks fans had the same thought, but KnicksMemes was brave enough to tweet it long before the game ended. Haliburton was invisible from start to finish.
WHY IS TYRESE HALIBURTON NOT TALKING SMACK?! WHY IS HE SO QUIET ON THE COURT TONIGHT
— Bankai (FINISHED THE STORY!) 🇪🇨🇵🇷 (@New_Tape_City) May 15, 2024
Haliburton learned a valuable lesson on Tuesday night. If you're going to run your mouth, you have to back it up. Some Pacers fans might chalk it up to his back spasms and ankle sprain, but those injuries didn't seem to bother him on Sunday.
Speaking of injuries, Jalen Brunson (who injured his foot in Game 2) scored 44 points in 43 minutes. It's the fifth time he's finished with 40+ points this postseason. Remember, Haliburton was selected for the USA Olympic Team over Brunson. Hopefully, Grant Hill watched his point guard in Game 5.
Even though vibes are high after the Knicks' win, the job isn't done. Maybe Haliburton will come back to life at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Game 6. Maybe Deuce McBride will make sure he doesn't. New York is one win away from the organization's first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 24 years. As thrilling as that is, the Knicks can't lose focus.