Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Reveals How He Broke Out of Season-Long Shooting Slump

The star point guard revealed how he has fixed his game and helped lead the Pacers to some wins.

Jan 4, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball against Phoenix Suns center Bol Bol (11) in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers are starting to play some better basketball than they were to start the season. They dug themselves into a hole, starting the year just 6-10. Some injuries to some key players significantly hindered their ability to stack up some wins.

Now that they have gotten Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard back from injury, they are playing better. Indiana has also figured out how to navigate the injuries to their two backup centers. The trade for Thomas Bryant certainly helped that as well. He has given quality minutes, even though he plays around ten minutes per game.

Recently, the Pacers have won three out of their last four games. A big reason for that has been the play of Tyrese Haliburton. As the All-NBA player on this team, he controls how well this team plays on a nightly basis. In his last four games, he's averaging 25.7 points and 9.2 assists.

Perhaps what is even more impressive is the lack of turnovers he's had. In that four-game stretch, he has 37 assists to just one turnover. In his most recent game against the Suns, he had 27 points and eight assists. The key for him has been a renewed aggressiveness.

Haliburton had been struggling with his shot this season. He's still just shooting 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc. That shooting percentage is starting to creep up after some solid games recently. He was asked what has helped him get out of his slump following the game against Phoenix.

"Shoot more, ball go in more," Haliburton said, "That usually works."

Pacers fans have been screaming all year that Haliburton has to be more aggressive with his shots. When he shoots more, it opens up more opportunities for his teammates because teams have to scramble to keep him from getting buckets. Specifically, he needs to drive to the rim more.

Haliburton has been much more aggressive at getting to the rim in recent games. His lane penetration has allowed him to kick the ball out to shooters, which has led to an increase in assists. When he is more aggressive with his shot, the Pacers play better as a whole.

Indiana has fought their way back up the Eastern Conference standings. They are just a half-game back from the fifth spot in the East. Renewed commitment to defense and more aggressive play from their superstar has them right back where they thought they'd be all along.

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