Defense has been the New York Knicks‘ identity since Tom Thibodeau took the reigns as head coach in 2020. Tyrese Haliburton was reminded that in Game 1.
The Indiana Pacers‘ point guard finished the night with just 6 points on 2-of-6 shooting from the field and 3 turnovers.
Ahead of Game 2, Haliburton talked with the media about his poor performance.
He claims the lack of production was a byproduct of his own misplaced focus and struggles, not the New York defense.
“I look at it more as a Tyrese issue more than a Knicks issue,” Haliburton told reporters on May 7. “So I’ll be better in Game 2.”
Haliburton continued by saying that he was focused on passing more than scoring in Game 1.
“I think that every player in the league who’s a scorer and a high-usage guy, passes the ball a lot,” He continued. “It’s a balance we need to find. It’s not easy, but obviously I erred on the side of playmaking yesterday and that wasn’t the right decision for me.”
He finished with 8 assists in 36 minutes, but finished the night with a -12 plus/minus rating.
An All-Star in his own right, Haliburton was outdueled by the Knicks’ very own Jalen Brunson, who scored 43 points in the win.
While there’s no apparent beef on the court, more was written about Brunson outdoing Haliburton than any topic from Game 1 of the Conference Semifinals series. New York Knicks fans bombarded social media with slander.
Knicks Fans Roast Haliburton on Twitter
Elephants never forget, but New York Knicks fans won’t let you either. They took to Twitter after the game to roast the Pacers’ star for his disappointing performance.
New York superfan and co-host of the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast, The Kid Mero didn’t hold back regarding Indiana’s point guard.
“Tyrese Haliburton? 6 points? Fraud,” He said on a May 7 episode of the Dan Le Batard Show. “Everyone was like ‘He’s better than Jalen Brunson, the Knicks should have drafted him.’ Fraud.”
Shaun Geddes tweeted that “Tyrese Haliburton spent the 4th quarter on a milk carton.”
Haliburton didn’t take a single field goal attempt in the final quarter, and Indiana was outscored by 9 points with him on the floor.
Knicks Memes reposted a TikTok from Haliburton’s account where he edited in clones of himself dancing, making for a trio.
“There are more Tyrese Haliburti in this video than Tyrese Haliburton Made Field Goals in Game 1…Meanwhile Jalen Brunson dropped 43,” they tweeted on May 6.
Indiana’s point guard made just 2 shots in Game 1, and both came in the first half.
Blames fed into the social media wide roast, adding that it’s the Pacers’ backup point guard who is the real threat to the Knicks.
“TJ McConnell scared every Knicks fan more than Tyrese Haliburton last night,” he tweeted.
T.J. McConnell finished Game 1 with 18 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Indiana outscored New York by 9 points when he was on the floor.
Knicks’ Series Odds Up 1-0
According to Land of Basketball, of 212 Conference Semifinals series in NBA history, 158 teams that take a 1-0 lead have gone on to win the series. That’s 74.5-percent of all teams.
With one more game at Madison Square Garden before going on the road to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the New York Knicks will look to take a 2-0 series lead on their home floor.
And if Tyrese Haliburton continues his struggles, the odds shift even more in their favor.
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