While everyone is dubbing the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers second-round playoff series as a throwback, the animosity stays in their 90s rivalry.
This is not Patrick Ewing’s Knicks against Reggie Millers’ Pacers anymore.
It’s Jalen Brunson versus Tyrese Haliburton, who are rivals on the court but friends off it.
“[He’s a] great player,” Brunson said of Haliburton following the Knicks’ Saturday practice. “We became friends last summer. Great guy, [has a] great family.
“I have all the respect in the world for him and the way he plays the game. He just goes out there, plays the right way and does what he has to do.”
Brunson and Haliburton are forever linked by their Team USA bond in last year’s FIBA World Cup.
Friendly Rivalry
Despite last summer’s debate on who should have started between them for Team USA (Brunson ended up starting while Haliburton led the team in assists off the bench), they did not pay attention to it.
But whether they like it or not, the rivalry is a hit to NBA fans and their respective team’s fan bases. It is a testament to their rising popularity as two of the league’s young stars.
They became again a hot topic for debate on who is the best point guard in the Eastern Conference, which fans settled by voting Haliburton as an NBA All-Star starter while Brunson settled with a spot in the reserves voted by the coaches.
And when Haliburton was named to Team USA who will play in the Paris Olympics this summer, Brunson’s and Knicks’ fans felt he should have been also selected.
Brunson has no qualms and looks forward to his friendly rivalry with Haliburton in this year’s playoffs.
Similar Path, Contrasting Styles
Their paths are intertwined because both Brunson and Haliburton were overlooked players who rose to become All-Stars and face of their respective new teams.
Brunson was an accomplished college player but was overlooked in the draft and slid to the second round. And he was again overlooked by his former team Dallas Mavericks, who twice declined to give him the max extension until it was too late and he decided to join the Knicks in free agency.
Haliburton was also overlooked in the NBA Draft and slid to the backend of the lottery. Then his former team Sacramento Kings shipped him to Indiana, where he flourished as the main guy.
Both have similar paths to stardom but they possess different styles of play.
Brunson is a bully-ball point guard who loves dominating his opponents in the halfcourt with his fundamentally-sound footwork. He is all business and rarely smiles on the court.
Brunson carried the Knicks offense by scoring and dishing more in the playoffs, averaging 35.5 points, 9.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds, up from his regular-season averages of 28.7 points, 6.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds.
Haliburton, on the other hand, loves the open court and dominates by his flashy passes and uncanny shooting stroke. He always flashes his megawatt smile and plays with unbridled joy on the court.
Haliburton did not have to score as much as Brunson have to do with a complete and more balanced Pacers team. He averaged 16.0 points, 9.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds in six games against the injury-hit Milwaukee Bucks after averaging 20.1 points, 10.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds.
Whose style will prevail in the playoffs?
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This article was originally published on Heavy.com
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