Tyrese Haliburton’s performance in the Pacers’ Game 3 loss against the Cavaliers had his name trending on social media, and NBA fans were all saying the same thing.
The Indiana Pacers were brought back down to earth by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3. Cleveland won 126-104 to make the series 2-1.
Donovan Mitchell led the way with an epic 43-point performance. Evan Mobley had 18 points and 13 rebounds on his return from injury, and even Darius Garland had 10.
Tyrese Haliburton went viral for his game-winner celebration in Game 2. His shot to win it all had Myles Turner thinking of LeBron James and what he once did against Indiana.
However, his Game 3 performance was the opposite of his big moments earlier in the series. Haliburton had just four points in the game, making only two field goals.
It was an abysmal display with the chance to go up 3-0 at home, and Hali was never going to escape social media ridicule in the aftermath.
NBA fans ruthlessly mock Tyrese Haliburton’s 4-point game
The 25-year-old had the lowest points tally on his team of any player who played 20 minutes or more. That is simply unacceptable for someone trying to ascend to superstar status.
One fan on X said, “Putting up Prime Bron 2011 Finals Numbers, he’s him right?” Another added, “The lights were too bright tonight.”
A third fan wrote, “Not an ideal performance from your max contract leader of the team.” This was the prevailing sentiment, with another adding, “He is who we thought he is.”
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While nearly everyone agreed that this was not an acceptable performance, some still believe in him. One comment read, “Rough game for Haliburton, but he’s still that dude.”
Donovan Mitchell outplayed Tyrese Haliburton by a wide margin in Game 3
Haliburton may have been getting all the praise so far this series, but there’s one star who will feel like he’s the best player in the series.
Mitchell showed that tonight, not just by scoring 43, but also by grabbing nine rebounds and five assists in the process.
Spida was unstoppable; he had a plus/minus of +35 on the night. He made five three-pointers as well, dragging the Cavs back into the series almost single-handedly.
Game 4 will be a pivotal one in the outcome of the series. If Mitchell can help Cleveland tie the series up, they will have all the momentum.
Haliburton needs a huge bounce-back game as well. Indiana can’t afford to go into Game 5 having lost their last two. All to play for on Sunday night.
