The Garden roared, but the silence that followed was deafening. Stephen A. Smith called Game 1 “a collective collapse of epic proportions”—and somehow, Game 2 stung even more. The Knicks had nothing to offer. Then came Tyrese Haliburton and chaos. New York blinked, and the lead vanished. What happened? That’s Thibs’ headache now. Meanwhile, the Pacers are far from perfect. They’ve got their own mess to clean up before Sunday. Because Game 3 is anyone’s game.
Well, Indiana came out flying, dropping a quick 19 to 9 on a Knicks squad that looked stuck in molasses. But then Thibodeau called in the cavalry. Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson sparked a fiery 10- 0 run. As Robinson tipped in the go-ahead, Karl-Anthony Towns joined the party. Then, New York stretched the lead. But just as hope bloomed, Siakam went scorched earth. He grilled everyone with his 23-point first half. Suddenly, it was 52-49, and Indiana was right there again; three points away.
Tyrese Haliburton confessed inside conversation after the first half of Game 2 vs. the Knicks
As always, Charles Barkley didn’t mince words while talking with Tyrese Haliburton after Game 2’s win. The 25-year-old point guard didn’t have the most impressive run on Friday, despite a double-double (14 pts, 8 rebs, 11 asts). Besides, Rick Carlisle’s crew played a pretty lackluster first half compared to the quality they had shown throughout the Playoff series so far.
Thus, Chuck pointed to the flat energy and called it like he saw it. “I thought y’all came out flat, lackadaisical,” the NBA legend noted. Only Pascal Siakam showed up early, while he rest went missing. So naturally, he wondered, “Did somebody say something at halftime?” Because that second-half spark had to come from somewhere. Maybe it was a “Let’s get greedy, Pascal,” mindset or the blunt rally cry, “Guys, let’s get off our a– and go.” Whatever it was, it clicked.
Tyrese Haliburton said, “I think the biggest thing, the conversation at halftime was, we probably played one of our worst halves of the playoffs outside of the Cleveland game in Game 3. That’s probably one of our worst. And we were only down three.” The Pacers lost Game 3 vs. the Cavs with a 104-126 result. Their Q2 might have been the worst as they added only 13 points to their 32-point game in Q1. Hali further admitted, “So I think for us it was like, ‘Hey, nobody’s playing good right now except for P. Everybody, let’s join the party. P, appreciate it. Let’s keep it going, keep doing what you’re doing.’”
Apr 4, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) reacts to a foul in the second half against the Utah Jazz at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
So, the Pacers’ body language in the second half transformed from an appreciation for Pascal Siakam’s 23-point first half. Well, that worked for them like magic wrapped in a win against the home team. “When you have played such a terrible half like that and you’re only down three, that gives you a lot of confidence. I thought we did a great job coming down the third quarter,” Tyrese told Charles Barkley. “We started the fourth quarter well. I thought we did a great job of that. But yeah, I agree with you. Nobody was good in the first half.”
Third quarter onwards, it was an uphill drive for the Indiana Pacers as they overcame the 3-point deficit to win the game by a 5-point margin. But now heading into Game 3, Rick Carlisle has some issues to resolve if the team is dreaming of the NBA Finals. And as always, the Pacers head coach didn’t hide his true feelings before the media at the post-game press conference.
Rick Carlisle sends important notes for the Pacers before Sunday’s face-off
The Indiana Pacers haven’t played in their home arena since May 11. That was Game 4 vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoff series. They won that game 129-109 vs. the first seed of the East. Now, the Eastern Conference Finals are knocking at Gainbridge Fieldhouse’s door, and Indianapolis is ready for some basketball action. But before that, Rick Carlisle has a warning for his team.
“Last time we played at home, I guess we won. But the game before that, we lost. There are a lot of traps here. You cannot assume going home is going to be easier. It never is,” the Pacers HC confessed; he was speaking of Game 3 against the Cavs, too. “Each game, as you ascend in a playoff series, becomes harder. New York has an amazing fighting spirit. We’re going to have to keep concentrating on our process, making it hard on them, trying to keep the tempo in the game,” Carlisle further added.
“The rebounding was better tonight. We lost the overall rebounding battle, but we didn’t get hurt nearly as badly on the offensive boards. That’s something we’ve got to continue to focus on.” Compared to the Knicks‘ 38 overall rebounds, the Pacers had 32. Therefore, the head coach’s concerns seem valid. Meanwhile, Carlisle said, “We’re just trying to play our game” despite the noise and distractions swirling around. He stressed that letting those distractions trigger a “narrowed focus on your teammates, on your job within the team” is key. They had success with this early on, but “going home is going to be a different kind of challenge.” Focus will be everything.
Well, the battle is far from over. Tyrese Haliburton’s quiet leadership sparked the Pacers’ comeback, while Pascal Siakam’s relentless scoring kept them in the fight. But the Knicks remain fierce foes. Carlisle knows the real test begins now—at home, under pressure, with everything on the line. Distractions will come. Focus must hold. Game 3 is more than a game—it’s a statement waiting to be made.
The post Tyrese Haliburton Admits Uncomfortable Locker-Room Talk as Pacers HC Rick Carlisle Issues Strong Game 3 Warning appeared first on EssentiallySports.
