Tyrese Haliburtons Struggles in the Paint: A Hurdle for the Indiana Pacers NBA Finals Hopes?
When Tyrese Haliburton hit the game-winning shot with just 0.3 seconds left in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, it was a moment that will forever be etched in the annals of sports history. However, the flashpoint of his heroics overshadowed what was otherwise a relatively quiet performance for the Indiana Pacers star. In Game 2, which the Pacers lost 123-107 after trailing by double digits for most of the night, there were no late heroics by Haliburton to save what was another so-so effort.
While Haliburton's winner will forever be remembered, it can't be used to gloss over what has been a significant issue for Indiana in the championship round: Haliburton needs to play much better if the Pacers are going to win the series. In his first two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Haliburton is averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. Alarmingly, he's also averaging 4.0 turnovers (compared with 1.6 during the season), and he hasn't attempted a single free throw.
On Sunday, he scored only 5 points through the first three quarters on 2-of-7 shooting. Haliburton's scoring and assists are both down compared with the regular season, and especially compared with the rest of the playoffs. And after turning the ball over only 10 times in six games of the Eastern Conference Finals, he's nearly matched that total with eight so far against the Thunder.
One issue for Haliburton has been his inability to create for himself and his teammates via driving into the paint. In the regular season, Haliburton averaged nearly 11 drives a night, forays into the teeth of the defense that would often lead to good offense for Indiana. In the conference finals, Haliburton averaged closer to 13 drives per game and shot 57.9% from the field when attempting a field goal on such plays, while also never turning the ball over. However, against a long-armed and athletic Thunder defense with fewer weak points to attack, Haliburton is under nine drives a game, with a total of no assists and six turnovers.
Haliburton is not a takeover scorer like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder, but he is unique in the way he is able to create offense for his teammates. However, unlike in previous rounds of the playoffs, Haliburton hasn't been able to find mismatches to attack in order to scramble Oklahoma City's defense. In the conference finals, Haliburton averaged 17.3 potential assists a game and created 27.0 points a night on assists. Against the Thunder, he's dropped to 14.0 potential assists while creating only 31 points total through two games.
"I feel like in the first half we were just moving the ball on the outside and I don't think we had a single point in the paint in the first quarter," Haliburton said about Game 2. "Our offense is built from the inside out, and we have to do a better job getting downhill." He added: "We know that the paint is our emphasis and the paint is our friend. The more that we're able to attack the paint, usually better things happen for us."
As long as Haliburton can't find his groove and create more offense for himself and his teammates, it will be tough for the Indiana Pacers to come out victorious in this series against
