Watch: Tyrese Haliburton disguises his 9th assist over 3-man defense with an obscene look
Tyrese Haliburton leads the NBA in assists with 12.7 dimes per game. Many have already started giving him the “Point God” mantle over Chris Paul. Behind Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers have been arguably the biggest surprise this season.
Haliburton has led the Pacers to an 18-14 record heading into their game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Indiana has beaten Milwaukee in three of this season’s four meetings. Another win tonight would decisively give dominance in the head-to-head encounters.
About halfway through the third quarter in the said game against the Bucks, Tyrese Haliburton had another spectacular dish. The assist was his ninth in the game and one that had the Pacers crowd on its feet (via Indiana Pacers):
Following a miss by the Bucks, Haliburton raced to the Pacers’ end of the court. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Marjon Beauchamp promptly barred his way. The All-Star guard saw teammate Myles Turner streaking to the paint and timed his exquisite pass for the big man.
Just as Haliburton attempted to drive in the paint, Lopez and Beauchamp didn’t waste time trying to trap him. But with three defenders now committed to stopping him, the former Sacramento Kings star allowed Turner a free run to the rim for an uncontested dunk. The slam gave the Pacers a 93-81 lead.
Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers are dominating the Milwaukee Bucks
The Indiana Pacers have been largely dominant over the Milwaukee Bucks this season. Milwaukee’s only win came on Dec. 13 when Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a franchise-record 64 points for the Bucks. Milwaukee exploded for 140 points that night.
In the three other games, the Pacers beat the Bucks by playing better defense, executing more crisply on offense and surprisingly having more composure. In all four games, Tyrese Haliburton had been the biggest problem Milwaukee had trouble dealing with. The Bucks know him very well but they have been largely powerless to stop him from scoring or orchestrating Indiana's offense.
On Wednesday, Indiana took a 113-97 lead entering the fourth quarter. Haliburton has 16 points, 11 assists, three blocks, two rebounds and one steal. He is outplaying Bucks superstar Damian Lillard who also has 16 points, but has four assists, one rebound and two steals.
In the Pacers’ three wins against the Bucks, they had one big quarter where they managed to rally for a win or hold on for the victory. Tonight, the 47-29 advantage in the third period might be all the separation they needed. After the closely fought first half, Indiana has created a significant cushion.
Behind Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers are playing with confidence and swag. They are likely going to keep the Milwaukee Bucks at bay to finish the season 4-1 against the Eastern Conference powerhouse.