Pacers Star Takes Shot at Knicks After Win

Tyrese Haliburton conjured morbid memories of metropolitan past as the Indiana Pacers eliminated the New York Knicks.

May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) reacts during the / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Tyrese Haliburton wore his Sunday best for the Indiana Pacers' elimination of the New York Knicks.

Indiana is moving onto the Eastern Conference Finals after Sunday's 130-109 victory in Game 7 of round two at Madison Square Garden. Haliburton, one of the Pacers franchise's brightest stars since the retirement of longtime Manhattan nemesis Reggie Miller, led the way with 26 points in a historic shooting performance, as Indiana shot an NBA playoff-record 67.1 percent from the field.

In the aftermath, Haliburton donned a hoodie depicting the infamous shot of Miller displaying a choking gesture to Knicks superfan Spike Lee during New York and Indiana's famed showdown in the 1994 postseason. The All-Star, who entered MSG without the hoodie, played coy when asked about its significance.

May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) wraps his neck in / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

"I’m just wearing the hoodie. I like to be comfy on the plane," Haliburton said, per Peter Sblendorio of the New York Daily News. "I got this hoodie like two days ago (and) appreciate whoever gave it to me.”

Having secured the latest edition of the recurring postseason rivalry (owning a 5-3 advantage in eight meetings), the Pacers wasted no time in reveling in the Knicks' demise. Indiana's official X account offered several snarky snips at the Knicks' expense and Miller, the target of enthused MSG ticketholders after their team took a 2-0 series lead, even got in on the fun by wishing Jalen Brunson well in the the presumed elimination trip to Cancun.

But Haliburton provided the ultimate troll in the opening period by literally shooting down the Knicks' hopes before they could ever truly get rolling. Haliburton scored 14 points in the period, most of that opening tally built on a 4-of-5 mark from three-point range. The Pacers led 39-27 after the first dozen and never trailed after that. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle labeled Haliburton's efforts Miller-esque in the aftermath.

May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) controls the ball / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

“Today, he knew that we needed some special shotmaking,” Carlisle said in Sblendorio's report. “There were shades of Reggie Miller, running around in that first quarter.”

Indiana's reward for disposing the Knicks is a best-of-seven conference final date with the Boston Celtics, which gets underway on Monday in Beantown (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2).

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