Indiana Pacers Tyrese Haliburton Playing With Joy In Improved Stretch

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton has put together 10 great quarters of basketball in a row. Dating back to last Friday, the Indiana Pacers have gone 2-1, and in Haliburton’s last five halves of basketball, he has scored 67 points and dished out 27 assists while making 18 of his 35 three-point shots.

For a player who has been struggling early in the 2024-25 campaign, that is a major stretch. It has coincided with good play from the Pacers, who have outscored their opponents by 18 in those 10 quarters. With Haliburton on the floor, they have been +26 in that span.

“His rhythm is fine. It’s really fine,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlsile said on Monday. He was pleased with his stars, Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, working together in the second half to free up Haliburton in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans. “Those were huge plays.”

It’s not perfect, but it’s a major sign of progress for the Pacers. They’ve struggled as a team to open the year, and Haliburton has been off. There are other issues for Indiana, but their star player from last season slumping has been their biggest concern.

Recently, these more-effective performances have shown that Haliburton may be turning a corner. He has been able to cut up defenses and get by his man with more ease of late, and the Pacers offense has been more fluid. For the season, the blue and gold have been better on offense with Haliburton off the floor than on (by the numbers, at least), but that trend was flipped in the last few games.

It’s not just that Haliburton is making shots — it’s that he’s taking them. He has attempted 10+ threes in each of the last trio of outings, something he only did twice in his first 15 games. That shows his confidence, and ability to get open, have improved.

What has helped Tyrese Haliburton turn things around?

A mental shift has led to Haliburton’s surge. He was having trouble identifying exactly why he was struggling early in the season, but he opened up on Monday night after he scored 34 points against the Pelicans. In that game, he was skipping after makes and celebrating big plays in a way he hadn’t all season.

“What I just have to keep is my joy for the game of basketball. Everybody wants to say, ‘be happy, have fun.’ That’s hard to do when you’re not playing well or you’re losing, you know,” Haliburton said Monday night after having 34 points and 13 assists. “Differentiating the difference between happiness and joy, you know,”

Haliburton sets up so much of the Pacers identity. His ability to play in the open floor and with pace gets everyone else in motion, and that’s how Indiana hopes to play for 48 minutes. When they are moving and free, they look great.

That is Haliburton’s strength. His vision and creativity connect every part of that style. When he’s struggling, it forces the Pacers to play slower and figure things out. When he’s sharp and playing with pace, the team reaches its peak.

Often this season, the Pacers have been unable to form that identity. Recently, though, they’ve shown glimpses of last year’s style — one that led to a top-two offense and 47 wins. They’ve played fast, bombed threes, and in general looked far more potent offensively. There are numerous factors that have made that all possible, but Haiburton capturing some joy has been a massive part of it.

“I’ve always had a joy for the game of basketball and a love and appreciation for what I do. I’ve given this game my whole life. So I think I just got caught in this becoming, you know, getting frustrated with myself and this kind of creeping into job territory and that weighing on me,” Haliburton said. He needed basketball to feel more enjoyable again. “I think it’s just been big for me to keep that joy and that love and that passion for the game of basketball because I genuinely do love what I do.”

Haliburton had a lengthy summer, going straight from an Eastern Conference Finals run that nearly made it to June before rehabbing an injury. One month later, he was with Team USA for the Olympics. Then, he had a short window of recovery before training camp with the Pacers was underway. Those are all enjoyable moments, but it’s not difficult to see how basketball might feel like a job when it’s that frequent, especially when it goes beyond NBA responsibilities.

But Haliburton found some joy this week, and he played well. The Pacers need it to continue, because when he’s skipping down the floor and burying jumpers, they are at their best.

Largely, this slump has been a stretch that Tyrese Haliburton thinks he will look back at and laugh about. He believes that few will remember this stretch when he breaks out of it. If Haliburton keeps playing free and with positivity, he will be right.