Team USA, with help from Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, takes down Puerto Rico to close Olympics Group Play

Haliburton played the entire fourth quarter

Jul 31, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States guard Tyrese Haliburton (9) and center Bam Adebayo (13) fight for position with South Sudan small forward Nuni Omot (5) and power forward Wenyen Gabriel (9) in the second quarter during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton suited up for his second game of Olympic action as Team USA took down Puerto Rico on Saturday to improve to 3-0 in Group Play.

The United States play was sloppy early. Their offensive attack was potent in the opening frame, but they couldn't get stops. New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alverado was making plays for Puerto Rico, and his team led 29-25 after 12 minutes.

That's when everything changed. Team USA went on a 5-0 run to reclaim the lead, and after the teams traded buckets for a few minutes it was 37-36 in favor of Puerto Rico. But that was the last time Team USA would trail all night. They were ahead by 10 just over three minutes later, and that quickly became a dozen.

The red, white, and blue scored 39 points in the second quarter, with reserve guard Anthony Edwards playing a fantastic game. They were ahead 64-45 at halftime and closed the half on a 20-4 run. Their sluggish start was a thing of the past.

Their dominance, particularly on defense, continued into the third quarter. Team USA's advantage climbed well over 20 and approached 30 by late in the period. With the team's knockout round seed all but decided at that point, they were about to roll to a victory.

With 28 seconds left in the third period, Haliburton entered for the first time. It was his second Olympic appearance — he scored six points in a win over South Sudan earlier this week. The Pacers star watched as Edwards finished a layup just 10 seconds after entering the action.

Haliburton would remain on the floor for the entire fourth quarter. Edwards continued to score, and Halburton had several tidy passes to Joel Embiid, but the big man never finished a play directly from one of those passes. Team USA was in cruise control for much of the period.

They finished the game ahead 104-83, which meant Team USA went 3-0 in Group C. Their +64 point differential in those three games was the best in the tournament, so they were in the top pod of teams heading into the seeding draw.

Team USA will next face Brazil. That game is on Tuesday, and it is one of four quarter final outings. Point differential is no longer a factor, so expect Haliburton to play in blowouts. Team USA's rotation in the last four games has only lightly featured the Pacers star, so it's reasonable to assume he's on the outside looking in going forward.

Indiana's All-NBA guard, who wants to prove himself again next season, finished with one steal and shot 0/1 in his 10 minutes of action. He committed one foul.

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