Haliburton: 'Have all the confidence in the world' to hit game-winners
Tyrese Haliburton delivered another clutch performance Tuesday night, draining a game-winning three to give the Indiana Pacers a 2-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"I'm at peace," Haliburton said after the 120-119 victory, according to ESPN's Jamal Collier. "I'm at peace with my game. Understanding that I'm trusted in these moments. I have all the confidence in the world to make these shots."
The triple marked Haliburton's second game-winner of the playoffs. He previously sealed the Pacers' first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 with a layup in the dying seconds.
Haliburton is now just the second player in the play-by-play era to record multiple go-ahead field goals in the final two seconds of a single postseason, joining LeBron James in 2018, according to ESPN.
"He enjoys the moments," Pacers center Myles Turner said. "He wants the ball in his hands. There's a lot of guys I've seen, even guys I've played with, that doesn't necessarily want to take that shot or doesn't necessarily want to be in the mix right there, but he relishes in those moments.
"It's just a testament as to his work ethic, his mental toughness, his mentality. Quite frankly - that boy cold, man."
However, Indiana's victory seemed statistically improbable, as they outscored the Cavaliers 8-0 in the final 50 seconds of Game 2. Since 1997-98, playoff teams trailing by at least seven points in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime have won only three of 1,643 games, per ESPN. Remarkably, the Pacers account for two of those victories in their last three contests.
"We just have a resilient group, man," said Haliburton. "We just figure out ways to win. We don't give up. We're battle-tested as a group. We've basically been together for about two years now and that continuity has been really good for us."
Donovan Mitchell nearly willed the Cavs to the win with a game-high 48 points. But with Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De'Andre Hunter sidelined with injuries, Cleveland ran out of gas.
"We can sit here and dwell on this and be home in about four or five days or we can move on," Mitchell said. "And take some things that we did really well and go from there. I have no doubt everybody in the locker room is ready for Friday. It sucks. It stings. But we got to go out there and take care of business, but I believe in everybody in that locker room. We believe in each other. We'll figure it out."
Game 3 takes place in Indiana on Friday.