Tyrese Haliburton shines for Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks

The Pacers point guard shined under the lights in the Garden.

Tyrese Haliburton is currently the face of the Indiana Pacers. He's taking on a leadership role with the franchise, he's supremely talented, and he is still growing and improving in several areas.

"Tyrese is a great leader," Pacers forward James Johnson said earlier this week. "He's vocal, he knows what he's doing... His IQ is really high."

On Friday night, Haliburton showed on the court why he is considered a pillar for the roster. He dominated offensively against the New York Knicks, scoring 20 points and dishing out seven assists in a Pacer loss. He was flinging the ball around all over the court and finishing plays with ease.

What made his makes impressive is that they were mostly all from the most efficient spots on the floor. Five of Haliburton's six made shots were either three pointers or layups — the best spots to shoot from on the court. He was getting to his spots.

His passing was dazzling, too. The third-year guard had assists on Indiana's first three scoring possessions, and they were all triples to different players. He was making the blue and gold's offense hum.

"I thought his initiation points were much better tonight," head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game.

Of his seven assists, five of them led to three pointers and two of them led to layups. Even when launching the ball to his teammates, Haliburton was getting Indiana efficient looks.

"He's doing a great job of using his voice and being vocal. Doing what a point guard should do," guard Buddy Hield said of Haliburton this week. "As time goes on, he keeps getting better and better."

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On the other side of the ball, Haliburton struggled against the Knicks. His defense needed work, and Jalen Brunson drove past him with little resistance. As he grows as a player and a leader, his defense will have to improve significantly.

But on offense, Haliburton was brilliant in a way that made his teammates better. The speed and timing with which he initiated actions allowed other Pacers to attack with advantages, and they seized the opportunities.

Haliburton excels in the pick and roll, and it showed in this game. A pair of his assists came out of screen-and-roll situations, and those plays will happen often over the course of the season. More reps in those situations will be beneficial for the young guard long term.

To put icing on the cake, Haliburton finished the night with just one turnover. He took care of the ball, which can be an issue for younger, pass-first guards. But the Iowa State product is hard on himself, and he lives to learn from his mistakes. That's why his turnover count is lower than other younger, aggressive guards.

"Tyrese is a hell of a player. He's going to adjust. He's going to make the right reads," Carlisle said. "He'll learn from one game to the next."

Haliburton had his best game of the preseason on Friday. He will look to build off of that performance when the Pacers battle the Knicks again next Wednesday.

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