Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Receives Heavy Praise From Suns Star Ahead of Matchup

With the Pacers start playing so well, he elicited some praise from one of the Suns' best players ahead of their game on Thursday night.

Dec 15, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) dribbles the ball while New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (2) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers are looking to make a move in the Eastern Conference. They started slowly to the 2024-25 season, in large part due to injuries. A lot of their issues have stemmed from not having their best players available, including two starters, for a large chunk of the year.

Tyrese Haliburton also had a slow start to the season, particularly on the road. He hasn't played nearly as well away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. At home, he averages 21.4 points and nine assists on 47% shooting. On the road, his stats slide down to just 15.5 points, 8.2 assists, and 38.5% shooting.

Haliburton is the Pacers' best player, and they need him to play better, both at home and on the road. He has played much better in the last three games, averaging 20+ points and 10+ assists over that span. It looks like he finally has his swagger back.

Ahead of the matchup against the Suns, the Pacers are as healthy as they have been in quite a while. They are looking for a big win. One of the Suns' best players, Devin Booker, had some praise for Haliburton and how he has played recently.

"He's a character, man," Booker said Thursday morning. "We had a lot of special times, and even post-Olympics...Our relationship has grown. He's somebody that I've tapped in with during this season also, so the communication stays there."

Devin Booker on bonding with Tyrese Haliburton over the summer in Paris: "He's a character, man. We had a lot of special times, and even post-Olympics....Our relationship has grown. He's somebody that I've tapped in with during this season also, so the communication stays there" pic.twitter.com/cfnsvCA1oD

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) December 18, 2024

Booker and Haliburton spent quite a lot of time together over the summer for the Olympics in Paris. While Haliburton didn't play in any of the knockout rounds, he still got some valuable experience. He needs to take what he learned and apply it to the court this season with the Pacers.

It's always nice when one of the best players in the league recognizes what you can bring to the court. The Suns actually had an opportunity to draft Haliburton back in 2020, but instead took Jalen Smith. Smith would eventually become teammates with Haliburton on Indiana until leaving in free agency prior to the 2024-25 season.

These are the types of games that Haliburton loves to play in. He elevates his game when he plays against the best teams in the league. Indiana is going to need everything he can give if they want to beat Phoenix and keep their streak of solid play going into the final stretch of the calendar year.

More Pacers news: Pacers Injury Report: Critical Guard Listed as Questionable Ahead of Suns Meeting