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As Tyrese Haliburton stood on the free throw line in the second quarter of Game 2 of the Indiana Pacers‘ second-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, fans at Rocket House taunted him by chanting “overrated,” referring to the guard recently being voted the most overrated player in the league by his peers in a poll by The Athletic.
Even Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell deemed that to be over-the-line, gesturing to his own fans to stop repeating that four-syllable word.
But turns out Haliburton didn’t need anyone to stick up for him.
With 1.1 seconds left and the Cavaliers ahead, 119-117, Haliburton made a 25-foot 3-pointer to lead the Pacers to a 120-119 win and a 2-0 series lead over the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
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“I’m at peace with my game,” said Haliburton, who had 19 points, 11 of which he scored in the fourth quarter, nine rebounds and four assists. “Understanding that I’m trusting these moments, I have all of the confidence in the world to make these shots.”
It was a spectacular come-from-behind win for the Pacers, who trailed by as much as 20 points and entered the fourth quarter down by 14 points, 98-84. And it was yet another statement game for Haliburton, who has made a name for himself this postseason after clearly being greatly underestimated by his peers.
Haliburton has shown that in high-pressure moments on the biggest of stages, he’s the antithesis of that dreaded one-word moniker that’s now haunting him.
In those moments, he’s a star.
In fact, this was the second time this postseason that Haliburton helped the Pacers overcome a 20-point deficit by making a game-winning shot.
In Game 5 of the Pacers’ first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Haliburton crossed over Giannis Antetokounmpo and made a layup with 1.3 seconds left in overtime to lead his team to a 119-118 win, advancing them to the Eastern conference semifinals.
After that game, Haliburton posted two words on X: “Overrate THAT.”
Haliburton’s father, John, was so hyped after that moment that he stormed onto the court waving a towel and swearing at Antetokounmpo. John was subsequently banished from attending Pacers games by the team for “the foreseeable future.”
On Tuesday, Haliburton played spoiler to Mitchell’s incredible 48-point, nine-assist, five-rebound and four-steal performance on a night when the shorthanded Cavaliers were without injured starters Evan Mobley (left ankle) and Darius Garland (left big toe), as well as reserve De’Andre Hunter (right thumb).
The Cavaliers, who were heavily favored to reach the Eastern conference finals, lost both of their games on their home court, a stunning collapse for a team that opened its season with a 15-0 record and closed it with 64 wins.
The Pacers overcame a seven-point deficit with 57.1 seconds left, similar to how they overcame a seven-point deficit with 40 seconds left in overtime in Game 5 against the Bucks.
The Pacers are proving they can never be counted out, finishing with six players in double-figures behind a complete team effort in which Haliburton was once again the hero.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers’ season is now in jeopardy, with Games 3 and 4 in Indiana on Friday and Sunday.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson called this a “tough blow,” before adding, “We have enough talent in there to go get Game 3.”
As for the Pacers, they’re showing the world that they might’ve been underrated. Meanwhile, their “overrated” star is proving that giving him white board material is a very dangerous strategy.
Haliburton was caught off guard when Cavaliers fans started mocking him, but he had the final laugh.
“That one was unexpected,” Haliburton said. “I didn’t know we had beef. But yeah, good for them. That came out of nowhere. I think now that that label is there, that’s how it’s going to be every time we play somebody. Every time we’re on the road, it’s probably going to follow me – until the next poll comes out.
“And then we’ll see if I’m number one again.”
Before Haliburton left the podium, he added two words, which are now becoming his signature phrase.
“Overrate that,” he said.
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
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