Tyrese Haliburton shows off in 2024 NBA All-Star Game with home crowd watching
INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton's second-ever All-Star game was on Sunday night, but this one was much different than his first.
The Indiana Pacers star was a starter for the Eastern Conference squad after being a reserve last season, a status upgrade that reflects his improvements as a player. He was playing in front of a largely home crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Pacers play home games in downtown Indianapolis. Haliburton was in his usual locker room. It was far more familiar.
"It's been a lot of fun," Haliburton said of his All-Star weekend on Saturday. He did a ton of events, including the NBA 2K League Alley, trips to NBA Crossover, The 3-Point contest, the Woj Pod, the Skills Challenge — which he won — and plenty more.
The All-Star game was the peak event, though. Celebrities sit courtside, and legendary players are all over the arena. Haliburton was going to perform in front of not only his usual cheering fans, but many other important figures. It was a big night for the Pacers star point guard.
Indiana basketball legends Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and Reggie Miller got the proceedings started, and about an hour later the game was off and running.
It didn't take long for Haliburton to get on the scoreboard. WIth 9:58 to go in the first quarter, Indiana's star guard hit a three to get his night started, and the crowd cheered as their guy was shifting into gear.
From there, things escalated quickly. Haliburton hit a three on the next four possessions for the Eastern Conference team, including a 34-foot triple while being guarded by two players. He was hot early and drawing double teams four minutes into the game.
"I was just going to keep shooting until I missed," Haliburton shared after the game.
The oohhs and aahhs from the crowd grew louder with each make. Finally, on his sixth attempt, Haliburton missed one. But he already had 15 points and was the early star of the show. It was a dreamy first few minutes for Indiana's face of the franchise.
He had 15 points and two assists at the end of the first quarter, and the Eastern Conference squad held a six-point lead. Haliburton was the stat leader among both squads.
Several Pacers franchise greats were honored in between quarters, and Haliburton remained on the bench to open the frame. He sat at the scorers table for a while before re-entering the game — there were few stoppages throughout the action.
He was back on the floor with 5:44 left in the first half. He didn't do much from a statistical perspective for the next few minutes, but with 1:52 to go until halftime he buried another three-point shot. It was his first field goal attempt since the 8:03 mark of the first quarter — he went over 18 minutes without a look.
Through two periods, the East squad was ahead 104-89. Haliburton had 18 points and three assists.
After Jennifer Hudson's halftime performance and a lengthy break, the action resumed with the third quarter. Haliburton was in a tight MVP battle with Damian Lillard, who entered halftime with 22 points and three assists.
Lillard started the second half with two triples to get things rolling. It didn't take long for Haliburton to get himself going, too. He hit two outside shots less than two minutes apart to get up to 24 points. His impact in a game without much defense was high.
The Pacers star guard was having fun and trying to entertain. He tried a behind-the-back pass with his elbow, a-la Jason Williams in the 2000 Rookie-Sophomore game. Lillard missed the three from said pass (it was inaccurate), but it was the perfect play for an All-Star game.
He exited the game with 3:41 to go in the third period with 24 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. His squad was dominating on the scoreboard, and that continued throughout the frame — the Eastern Conference group was ahead 160-136 entering the final quarter.
The game lost a ton of energy in the second half with the scoring margin so wide. Both teams were running out the clock. Haliburton (and Lillard) sat at the scorers table for a while before re-entering the game with 4:37 remaining.
Indiana's star didn't do much until the final 90 seconds, but he exploded in that stretch. He finished the game with 32 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. The Eastern Conference squad won the game 211-186.
"Having fun playing basketball," Haliburton said of the action. He's now 1-1 in his two All-Star games.
In the end, Lillard won All-Star game MVP. The Milwaukee Bucks star finished with 39 points and six assists, just edging Haliburton statistically. Lillard won the MVP voting 7-5 over Haliburton.
"Much deserved. It could have went either way. Dame put on a show. I was happy for him," Celtics star Jayson Tatum said of the award postgame.
It was still quite the display from the Pacers star. He showed off in front of a home crowd, was impressive in front of a national audience, and was in the mix for game MVP. Haliburton has a lot to be proud of after his second All-Star game — and the first in his home city.
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