Tyrese Haliburton Reveals Pacers' New Gameplan For Game 3

Jun 8, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) brings the ball up court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter of game two of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Jun 8, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) brings the ball up court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter of game two of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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The Indiana Pacers got run out of the gym on Sunday in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, struggling to score and generate offense, but Tyrese Haliburton is already looking ahead to Game 3 and what adjustments the team can make.

After an upset win in Game 1, the Pacers looked to take a commanding 2-0 lead against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the Thunder never gave up control of the game and ended up evening up the series.

For the first three quarters of Game 2, Haliburton struggled to make much of an impact as he was hounded relentlessly by Lou Dort.

The Pacers' star ended up scoring 17 points in 34 minutes, giving six assists and getting three rebounds.

The Thunder made a concerted effort to limit his offense, leading to his lack of impact on the team.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle specializes in making adjustments during the playoffs, altering his game plan when needed.

Heading into a crucial Game 3, Haliburton already knows what needs to change for the team to keep home court advantage.

“Our offense is built from the inside-out, and we have to do a better job getting downhill,” Haliburton told reporters after the game.

“They collapse and make plays from there. I thought we could improve a lot there. But yeah, they are flying around. They have got great point-of-attack defenders and great rim protectors. We can do a better job, watch the film, and see where we can get better going into Game 3.”

Haliburton is a player who tends to differ when the defense focuses on him, moving the ball around and finding the open person rather than pressing offense, which leads to him being a passenger on offense.

Carlisle plans on letting Haliburton continue to play like he usually does, highlighting the effectiveness of his star's approach to the game.

“There's a lot more to the game than just scoring. … People shouldn't just look at his points and assists and judge how he played, or judge how any of our guys played just on that,” Carlisle said.

“That's not how our team is built. We are an ecosystem that has to function together. We've got to score enough points to win the game but who gets them and how they get them, not important.”

More Pacers news: Pacers' Obi Toppin Receives Shocking Prediction For NBA Finals

Fans in Awe of Bonkers Korean Broadcasts of Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Game Winner

Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Admits He Took Draft Snub From East Rival Personally

Pacers to be Without One Player For Multiple NBA Finals Games

Pacers Have Shocking Advantage Over Thunder in NBA Finals

Pacers' Shocking Turnaround by the Numbers Proves They Can Win It All

For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, visit Indiana Pacers on SI.


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Nelson Espinal
NELSON ESPINAL

Nelson Espinal lives and breathes sports. Avidly following of everything ranging from motorsports to Mixed Martial Arts to tennis, he is connected with most of the sports world at all times. His dream of writing about sports started at 16 years of age, writing for a Lakers fans blog, and his passions for sports writing has grown since. He has his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and a minor in writing literature from the University of California, San Diego.


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