The Indiana Pacers announced themselves as a legitimate contender when they made a run to the Eastern Conference finals this past season, the franchise's first trip to the conference finals since the 2013-14 campaign. Only, NBA fans and pundits didn't see it that way. There was a sense that the Pacers, who were swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics, had enjoyed a fluky run to the doorstep of the NBA Finals.
Nothing could be further from the truth, as the Pacers advanced out of the Eastern Conference finals this season and on Thursday stole Game 1 of the NBA Finals on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder thanks to some late-game heroics from Tyrese Haliburton.
And, as Haliburton so brilliantly described in his postgame comments, the Pacers heard what the doubters said and, as six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan once said, it became personal.
"We do a great job of taking things personal, and that gives this group more confidence." 🗣️
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 6, 2025
Tyrese Haliburton says Pacers spent last Summer "pissed off" and explains how they stay motivated in the face of doubt. pic.twitter.com/S7Kt4XSuJb
"...After you have a run like last year and you get swept in the Eastern Conference finals," Haliburton said after the game. "And all the conversation is about how you don't belong there and how you lucked out to get there. And that it was a fluke. Guys are gonna be pissed off. We're gonna spend the summer pissed off."
"And then you come into the year with all the talk around how it was a fluke. You have an unsuccessful first couple months and now that's easy for everybody to clown you and talk about you in a negative way. And I think as a group, we take everything personal. As a group, it's not just me, it's everybody. I feel like that's the DNA of this group."
Indiana began the year 10-15 and were beset by injuries. They certainly didn't look the part of a championship contender. Since January 1, Indiana owns the second-highest winning percentage in the NBA, behind only the Thunder. And Haliburton himself had plenty of fuel for his individual fire, as he was voted the NBA's most overrated player in The Athletic's annual player poll back in April. To his credit, he took it in stride and has let his postseason play do the talking.
But Haliburton believes the whole Pacers team has an edge, including the coaching staff, whom he credited for leaning into said narratives as a motivational tactic.
"Our coaching staff does a great job of making us aware of what's being said," Haliburton continued. "Us as players, we talk about it in the locker room, we talk about it on the plane. We're a young team so we probably spend more time on social media than we should. But I think we just do a good job of taking things personal."
"And that gives this group more confidence."
Haliburton went on to add that the Pacers enjoy playing the "underdog" role against the Thunder, who won 68 regular season games. But he made sure to note that there is "still a lot of work to be done."
That work will continue in Game 2 on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tyrese Haliburton Says Pacers Spent Whole Summer 'Pissed Off' by Doubters.
