INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton was questionable before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Once it started, he was great.
Haliburton was the driving force behind Indiana University’s 121-89 victory over the Knicks in front of a sold-out crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The All-Star point guard had 20 points, six rebounds and five assists.
This was suspected due to various ailments, including lower back spasms, a sacral contusion, and a sprained right ankle.
But none of that stopped him, and the normally stout Nick defense just looked short-tempered and exhausted.
“No, I felt good,” Haliburton said. “We have the best medical staff in the NBA. The 24-hour treatment, everything got me out safely, so I’m very grateful. And now I’m going to get more treatment after this. , it’s time to get ready for Game 5.
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It was Haliburton’s third strong game in a row.
After suffering a disappointing loss in Game 1 at the Garden, scoring six points and hitting six, he adapted quickly.
More detailed video work followed, with added attention to detail.
And of course, a more aggressive mindset led to attacking the Knicks in transition.
He was too much for a tired, undermanned team that only played six or seven players.
Haliburton led the way to wins in Games 3 and 4 at home.
“At the end of the day, all we did was work from home. We understand the magnitude of Game 5 and we’re going to prepare for it,” Haliburton said.
Halliburton set the pace for Indiana, both figuratively and literally.
He had eight points on 2-of-4 shooting from behind the arc, five boards and was plus-23 in the first quarter alone.
Indiana raced to a 34-14 lead and never looked back, extending their cushion to 43 points.
He repeatedly broke through and delivered highlight dunks that wowed the crowd.
“I think I just did my job and did what I had to do at the end of the day and played the right way for 48 minutes,” Haliburton said. “And that’s really the most important thing for us. We just took care of business from start to finish. I think that’s part of the maturation of this group that we’ve been talking about all year. .
“Now, we have to flash it honestly, you know, obviously taking a watch film. [Monday], but you know, we’ll take the good as good, learn from the bad, and be ready for Game 5. ”
