Tyrese Haliburton makes major Caitlin Clark statement, hails Fever star for handling 'rhetoric' gracefully
At the halfway point of the 2024-25 NBA campaign, Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers are trending in the right direction. The All-Star guard has been finding his legs more consistently, and the Pacers are beginning to look like the team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals just last season.
Haliburton shares the spotlight of stardom on the basketball court in Indiana with WNBA Rookie of the Year, Caitlin Clark. Haliburton and Clark are immensely supportive of one another and each other's respective teams. Ahead of the Pacers' matchup versus the San Antonio Spurs for the 2025 NBA Paris Games on Wednesday, Haliburton spoke on Clark's ability to manage stardom.
"She's just an amazing person, an amazing player. She deals with a lot. There's a lot of rhetoric behind her that she really has no control over. And I think that the way she handles that is just amazing. Like, I think when it comes to the game of basketball, she's probably top five most famous people that are playing right now, just in general. That includes our league as well."
Tyrese Haliburton appeared at numerous Fever games during the WNBA season to support Clark, and she has repaid the favor, showing out at Pacers games to support Haliburton and the team.
Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers surging over last 20 games
After a slow start to the season, winning 10 of their first 24 games, the Pacers have found their stride in 20 games since. Dating back to Indiana's 132-123 win over the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 6, the Pacers have gone 15-5 during that stretch, due in large part to the performance of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.
Over the last 20 games, Haliburton averages 18.2 points, 9.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds, shooting 48.2% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range. His numbers are up from his averages of 17.6 ppg, 8.4 apg and 3.4 rpg, shooting just 41% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.
Siakam has remained consistent throughout the season, but has been elevated by the team's improved play. During their 15-5 stretch, he is notching 20.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 3.1 apg, shooting an eyebrow-raising 51% from the field and 40% from 3-point range.
The Pacers will face off against the Spurs from Paris on Thursday and Saturday before returning home to take on the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.