The Oklahoma City Thunder had the last laugh as Game 5 came to an end. With a dominant showing, the Thunder went 3-2 up to lead the series. However, as far as the Pacers are concerned, their star prospect, Tyrese Haliburton, had quite a forgettable game. While he went scoreless in the first half, Haliburton also seemed to be struggling significantly with his calf. And all of this did not sit well with NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith.
Speaking about Haliburton, Smith did not mince words. He pointed out that the Pacers’ star looked significantly out of sorts. He was not active in court and also lacked the required aggression. Expressing his frustration, Smith stated that Haliburton needs to take a step back and rest. Otherwise, he is not helping his team at all.
“He looks bad! He was not active! He was not aggressive! And now that we know that he’s not healthy, I totally agree with Big Perk! Sit him down! Get him ready for Game 6!… He ain’t helping the team! He’s not helping them!” said Smith.
Stephen A. Smith on Tyrese Haliburton: "HE LOOKS BAD! HE WAS NOT ACTIVE! HE WAS NOT AGGRESSIVE! AND NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT HE'S NOT HEALTHY, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH BIG PERK! SIT HIM DOWN! GET HIM READY FOR GAME 6!… HE AIN'T HELPING THE TEAM! HE'S NOT HELPING THEM!" #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/nSsX2y3US8
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 17, 2025
Surely, Smith has reasons to be upset. While the Pacers lost 109-120, Haliburton managed just 4 points! Pascal Siakam was the highest scorer for the Pacers, dropping 28 points in 33 minutes. Meanwhile, after winning Game 3, Haliburton had some interesting choice of words for the experts.
Tyrese Haliburton Hit Back At The ‘Talking Heads’ Post Game 3
Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers made a stunning comeback in Game 3. While the Thunder drew level, an excellent display from Haliburton propelled his team to a 2-1 lead. Soon after the victory, Haliburton took a shot at the online experts who have been criticizing the Pacers’ star all this time.
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“Most of the time, the talking heads on the platforms… I couldn’t care less, honestly. Like, what do they really know about basketball… The commentary is what it is at this point. We’re in the NBA Finals, two wins way from an NBA Championship,” Haliburton said.
“Most of the time, the talking heads on the platforms… I couldn’t care less, honestly. Like, what do they really know about basketball… The commentary is what it is at this point. We’re in the NBA Finals, two wins way from an NBA Championship.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 12, 2025
Tyrese Haliburton on critics of… pic.twitter.com/2RXkWzKSlq
Thus, with a lot of noise, it now remains to be seen how Tyrese Haliburton’s future will pan out.
