The Pacers were on the road Tuesday night to face the Cavaliers in Game 5 of the East semi-finals. Heading into last night’s matchup, Indiana had a 3-1 series lead vs. Cleveland.
Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs knew they were on the brink of elimination Tuesday. They started the game hot, but the Pacers quickly rallied to make it competitive by halftime. Tyrese Haliburton went a perfect 5-5 from beyond the arc in the second quarter to give the Pacers the spark they needed. In the end, Indiana won 114-105 and took the series 4-1. Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton set the new record for the most 30/5/5 games in franchise playoff history.
Indiana has punched their ticket to a second consecutive Eastern Conference Final appearance
Tyrese Haliburton now has the most playoff games in Pacers history with:
30+ PTS 5+ AST 5+ 3PM pic.twitter.com/vXwj8SoU4R
— Real Sports (@realapp_) May 14, 2025
A few weeks ago, The Athletic released a poll in which they surveyed active NBA players. One of the questions asked them who the most overrated player in the NBA is. Of the 400+ players who were in the poll, only 90 of them answered the previous question. Roughly 14.4% answered, or 13 people. The top answer among those who participated in the question was Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton. While his peers may doubt him, Haliburton is proving them wrong in the 2025 playoffs.
Against the Cavaliers on Tuesday, Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points, six rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and one block. It was a masterful performance from the 25-year-old in Game 5. He was 6-10 from beyond the arc on Tuesday, but went a perfect 5-5 in the second quarter to spark a big run for the Pacers. Three of those five triples in the second quarter were from 30 feet or further. Haliburton showed off his range against Cleveland in Game 5.
The two-time all-star had the highest plus-minus of any Pacers player on Tuesday at +27. He was a difference maker for the Pacers in Game 5. In the third quarter, Indiana went on a 21-2 run and held Cleveland scoreless for seven-plus minutes. With a 114-105 win, the Pacers have punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. Their likely opponent is the New York Knicks, who have a 3-1 series lead vs. Boston. Indiana and New York met in the conference semi-finals of the 2024 playoffs.
