Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton smiles at a Team USA practice on August 12, 2023. (Mandatory Photo Credit:Jonathan Castro/USA Basketball)
Team USA finishes USA Basketball Showcase with undefeated record, Pacers Tyrese Haliburton looks effective
On Sunday, Team USA's Men's Basketball team finished their USA Basketball Showcase, a series of five scrimmages that were played as the team prepared for the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The red, white, and blue took down Germany on Sunday 99-91 to finish the exhibitions with a 5-0 record. They previously topped Puerto Rico, Slovenia, and Spain, and they beat Greece on Friday 108-86.
"The group has a connection. They really like each other," USA head coach Steve Kerr said Sunday, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "They play well together and they fight. So that's a huge step."
The Indiana Pacers had tons of eyes on the games. The team's lone All-Star, guard Tyrese Haliburton, is on the USA squad for the summer, and he has been a key part of the team's success. In the team's first three scrimmages, he had 10+ assists twice and 10 points in the other outing.
His passing has been praised by other members of the team so far, and the Pacers guard has been an engine for the second unit. He had a chance to prove that again over the week against Greece and Germany.
Statistically, the Greek squad did the best to slow down Haliburton. He finished with six points, two rebounds, four assists, and two steals in the win. He still pushed the pace and guided the second unit, but the box score didn't jump off the page like it did in other outings.
It didn't take long for Haliburton to bounce back. When dueling the Germans and Pacers' center Daniel Theis on Sunday, Haliburton had his best scoring game of the summer so far. He finished with 16 points and three assists to help Team USA pull off a double-digit point comeback victory to remain undefeated.
"Our [second] unit felt like we were [expletive] the game up, so we had to come in and fix it," Haliburton said, per Windhorst.
The Pacers star had 11 points in a stretch that lasted fewer than three minutes late in the third quarter, and it turned the whole game around. Team USA went from down nearly 20 to within single digits during that time frame, and they went on to win in the fourth quarter. Haliburton was vital for the comeback.
Truly, Haliburton has been vital for the red, white, and blue through five outings. His combination of shooting, passing, and pace setting allow him to both elevate bench units and be a useful cog in lineups with more ball handlers. His defense has been solid, too. He has been impressive for the squad so far.
Team USA has to be happy with how Haliburton has handled the physical nature of the games. He has held his own while still being himself, which can be hard to do. It's important that he's been successful in that way since he is a point guard, a de facto leader.
There are no more exhibitions for Team USA and Haliburton. Their next game is on Saturday as they kick off the World Cup against New Zealand. They are in Group C.
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