The Indiana Pacers continue to defy expectations this postseason. Against all odds, they lead the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder 2-1, with one more home game before the series shifts back to Paycom Center. Despite the favorable outlook, Magic Johnson issued a major warning to Tyrese Haliburton ahead of Game 4.
During a conversation on ESPN this Thursday, Johnson broke down the Finals and gave a clear verdict. “OKC has more talent than Indiana at the end of the day,” said the Los Angeles Lakers legend. “But the way they’re going to win is they have to play fast.”
Immediately, Magic turned his focus to Haliburton and the role he needs to embrace to lead Indiana to a championship. “He has to score more in this series. He has to get 20-25 points every single game in order for the Pacers to win because they follow his lead, right?” said Earvin. “So him and (Pascal) Siakam have to get at least 20 points to put the Pacers in a situation that they can win the game. That unlocks all the other guys.”
To support his point, Johnson pointed to Game 3, in which Indiana beat OKC 116-107. “When they both came out aggressive, Siakam had a big first quarter. Haliburton had a big second quarter, that unlocked everybody else now to be comfortable enough to score and take their shots to help the Pacers win,” said the legendary point guard.
Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers reacts during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in Game One of the 2025 NBA Finals
“He has to set the tempo, not just with his pace and also his assists, but also his scoring,” said Johnson, before comparing Haliburton’s responsibilities to his own experience playing with the Lakers. “I had to do that against the Celtics. I could cruise in the other series, but not against the Celtics. I must score against the Celtics, while I still had to get 15-20 assists, and this is important for him: He has to do the same thing, set the table for the guys and score points against OKC.”
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So far this postseason, Tyrese Haliburton has been, along with Pascal Siakam, Indiana’s main weapon in each round. Against the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round, the guard averaged 17.6 points, and then posted 17.4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Haliburton’s numbers in the Conference Finals were stronger, proving he steps up when his team needs him most: against the New York Knicks, Tyrese averaged 21 points. And so far against the Thunder, his stats are in line with his first two series, averaging 17.7 points per game.
In this context, Haliburton was asked about the constant opinions circulating in the media and online regarding what he should be doing each game. The point guard was completely candid. “Most of the time the talking heads on the major platforms, I couldn’t care less, honestly. What do they really know about basketball?” he said, according to Sports Illustrated. “At a time like this I’m not really on social media as much. I try to stay off it as much as I can. But you see it. ESPN might be on in my house, and there it is. It is what it is.”
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