Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton wins Eastern Conference Player of the Week
Indiana Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played last week.
The honor was given to the player in each conference who had the best performances during games played between December 25 and 31. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the winner in the West.
Haliburton was terrific last week. The Pacers went 3-0, taking down the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, and New York Knicks to get back on track. Their lead guard guided it all. He averaged 25.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 17.7 assists per game in the three outings.
His assist number stands out. He had two games during the week in which he dished out 20+ assists, becoming just the third player in NBA history to have consecutive 20+ point and 20+ assist games. His gaudy numbers were needed both times — the Pacers crushed the Bulls and Knicks with Haliburton on the hardwood.
"He's very unselfish. Makes a lot of good plays," Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said of Haliburton after New York fell in Indiana last week.
Haliburton was a nominee for Player of the Week in the East for the first five weeks of the season, but he was never able to take home the hardware. He's been terrific all campaign long but had yet to be honored as the best player in the Eastern Conference over any stretch.
He was also a nominee for Player of the Month for October/November. Perhaps such an honor could be coming again for his play in December. He averaged 21.4 points and 14.0 assists per game in the final month of 2023.
Pacers center Myles Turner was also a nominee for the award last week. He averaged 23.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in the three wins.
This is the first time a Pacers player has won Player of the Week since Haliburton took home the honor in November of 2022. The last non-Haliburton winner for the blue and gold was Domantas Sabonis back in December of 2021.
Indiana is 17-12 when Haliburton plays this season. He's a star-level guard and is leading the blue and gold into playoff contention — they currently sit in sixth place in the East. Haliburton is averaging 24.7 points and 12.7 assists per game this season.
The offensive engine next hits the court tonight in Indianapolis against the Milwaukee Bucks, a team he has done well against all season. The Pacers took down the Bucks on Monday night, and the franchises are forming a rivalry after many intense, physical games.
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