Pacers' Haliburton after loss to Bucks: 'I've got to be better'

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is working through the worst slump of his young career while also trying to lead a floundering 6-10 Indiana Pacers squad.

"I've got to be better," he told Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star after Friday night's 129-117 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. "We've got a lot of young guys playing hard, trying their best. ... I've got to figure out."

The Iowa State product scored recorded 18 points, nine assists, and only one turnover in the loss.

"It's part of basketball," Haliburton told reporters when asked about working through his slump, courtesy of WTHR.com's Tony East. "I just gotta keep trusting myself, working hard, trusting my teammates and I'll figure it out."

Haliburton's production has fallen off a cliff this season, averaging just 15.3 points and 8.5 assists while shooting 37.5% from the field and only 28.4% from three. It represents quite a drop-off from his previous two seasons with the Pacers: he averaged over 20 points and 10 assists both years, received two All-Star nods, and made the All-NBA third team for the 2023-24 campaign.

His numbers on the road are even more dire - the former All-Star is averaging 12.3 points and is shooting 31.8% from the field in his 10 games away from Indiana.

His play has had a massive effect on Indiana's offense: The team ranks 17th in the Association with an offensive rating of 120, slightly ahead of the 4-12 Toronto Raptors.

As a result, the Pacers are on a three-game losing skid and sit 11th in the East.

Indiana has been decimated by injuries early in the year, losing both backup centers - James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson - to season-ending Achilles injuries. Meanwhile, guard Andrew Nembhard - who received a three-year, $59-million extension in the offseason - has only appeared in seven games this year because of a recurring knee problem. Two-way wing Aaron Nesmith has also missed 10 consecutive contests with an ankle issue.

The Pacers will try and get back into winning habits on Sunday when they host the 2-12 Washington Wizards.