The Indiana Pacers had the opportunity to close out the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday, but fell short as they lost Game 5 of the series 111-94 to the New York Knicks. The Knicks held firm control for the majority of the game, and got their second win of the series to force Game 6.
Though the Knicks had a much stronger game and the Pacers failed to score 100 points for the first time this postseason, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is not concerned and emphasized after the loss that they will not be panicking heading into the rest of the series.
"We're a resilient group," Haliburton said after the game, via ESPN's Jamal Collier. "We always want to respond when things don't go well after a game like that. We understand what the stakes are. ... We're fine. There's no need to panic or anything."
Haliburton also made clear that he must play better after only scoring eight points with six assists and two rebounds against the Knicks on Thursday. He failed to score a single three-pointer in what was his worst game of the series.
"I got to be better, and I'll be better in Game 6," Haliburton said, via Collier. "We got to be better as a group. Our pace has to be better. That starts with me. I got to be better there. As a group, we've shown that we can have some success this playoffs. This was a rough showing for us tonight. So we'll watch the film, see where we can get better and be great."
Haliburton and the Pacers will get the opportunity to rebound on Saturday, when they take on the Knicks at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. If the Pacers can get the win, they'll officially move on to the NBA finals in front of the home crowd.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tyrese Haliburton Explains Why the Pacers Aren't Concerned After Game 5 Loss.
