Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers’ offense were firing on all cylinders in their commanding 121-114 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. Pat McAfee believes that Indiana’s point guard is finally overcoming his recent slump.
“Uhhh yeah… I’m thinking he’s back,” McAfee wrote in a post in X (formerly Twitter) after Tyrese Haliburton logged, 28 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds while shooting 5/10 from rainbow country.
Tyrese Haliburton’s struggles
The Pacers entered their matchup against the Trail Blazers with an 8-10 record, and Haliburton’s performance has declined in several statistical areas this season.
Through the first 18 games, Haliburton is on track to post a career-low shooting percentage of 39.2% from the field and 32.9% from three, while averaging 16.8 points, 8.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.8 three-pointers per game.
Overall, Haliburton hasn’t been as efficient or dynamic as he was last season. He has scored 20 or more points in only four games so far this season.
Haliburton was part of Team USA’s Olympic gold medal win this summer. He also received third-team All-NBA recognition last season, helping the Pacers make an unexpected deep run to the Eastern Conference finals.
The Pacers’ challenges extend beyond Haliburton’s struggles. Several injuries have hindered their progress, with Aaron Nesmith sidelined for the past three weeks due to a sprained ankle and Andrew Nembhard not playing since Nov. 6 because of a knee injury.
Haliburton’s return to form and and impressive win over the Trail Blazers
Pascal Siakam contributed a season-high 29 points, helping the Indiana Pacers finish strong and secure a victory over the Blazers on Wednesday night in Indianapolis. He finished 12-for-20 from the field, adding seven rebounds and four assists to his performance.
Bennedict Mathurin contributed 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who held a slim 103-100 lead after Deandre Ayton’s basket for Portland with 6:45 remaining.
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Siakam had a personal 5-0 run, followed by a Quenton Jackson conversion of a Haliburton assist into a dunk, Indiana quickly stretched their lead to 10 points with 4:40 left.
The Blazers knocked down nine 3-pointers in the first half and built a 10-point lead in the second quarter. However, Mathurin sparked the Pacers’ comeback with 13 points in the quarter, helping them tie the game at 60 by halftime.
Despite their defensive lapses in the first half, Indiana settled into a strong offensive groove in the second half, with Siakam, Mathurin, and Haliburton stepping up with timely shots. Their consistent contributions powered the Pacers to a 7-2 home record.
Anfernee Simons paced Portland with 30 points, highlighted by six 3-pointers. Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe each added 17. Both teams now hold a 1-2 record in NBA Cup play.
With Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III unavailable, the Blazers faced challenges on the boards. Despite ranking among the bottom four teams in rebounds per game, the Pacers controlled the glass, finishing with nine more rebounds than Portland. They grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, turning those into 22 second-chance points. Indiana was able to secure nearly half of its missed shots, restricting the Blazers’ opportunities to close out defensive possessions.
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