The Indiana Pacers delivered a dominant 129–109 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, taking a commanding 3–1 lead in the series and placing Cleveland on the brink of elimination. While Tyrese Haliburton didn’t have his usual standout performance—finishing with 11 points, five rebounds, and five assists—he made headlines off the court for how he addressed criticism surrounding both himself and head coach Rick Carlisle following a lackluster Game 3.
After Indiana’s flat effort in that loss, Carlisle held his team accountable and challenged his players to respond with urgency. According to Haliburton, that message was loud and clear.
“We have a game like last game, such a letdown,” Haliburton said. “He [Carlisle] sets the tone and helps us to respond. Coach does a great job of challenging guys. Me, I get the brunt of it at first and it trickles down. He just wants the best for this team and this organization.”
Though Haliburton didn’t light up the scoreboard, Indiana’s collective performance more than made up for it. Pascal Siakam added 21 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Myles Turner chipped in 20 points, seven boards, and three dimes, while Obi Toppin provided a major spark off the bench with 20 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
Turner channels Kobe as Pacers stay locked in
Despite the dominant win and the 3–1 lead, Turner made it clear that Indiana isn’t satisfied just yet. “Job’s not finished,” Turner said, quoting the late Kobe Bryant. “Need to be able to stay focused.”
Turner referenced Bryant’s now-iconic quote from the 2009 NBA Finals, when the Lakers held a 2–0 lead over the Orlando Magic. Bryant remained stoic and focused in that moment—and so do these Pacers, who know the job isn’t done until they reach four wins.
Haliburton on outside noise: ‘It’s just Basketball, bro’
Haliburton also addressed personal criticism that followed his uneven Game 3 performance. Calm and confident, the All-Star guard offered a grounded perspective on what comes with the spotlight. “It’s just basketball, bro. I get paid a lot of money to play a child’s game,” he said. “I love what I do, I love my job. I don’t even look at it as a job. I have a lot of fun with what I do.”
“I think there’s always commentary behind what I do, positive or negative, and it’s hilarious because a lot of times it’s people that know nothing about me. Criticism is sometimes warranted, sometimes it’s not, but it’s all part of it.”