New York — As Pascal Siakam saw Tyrese Haliburton make his latest game-changing pass, this time by throwing the ball off the backboard to himself before sending it to his new All-Star teammate in the corner, he had only one thought.
“Just make it,” Siakam told ESPN, laughing, inside Madison Square Garden’s visiting locker room after Indiana’s 125-111 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday night.
Siakam did exactly that, hitting a 3-pointer in the corner in front of New York’s bench with just under eight minutes remaining in the third quarter, putting the Pacers ahead by eight and forcing Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to call a timeout.
It was just one of many highlights for the Pacers, who shot 61% from the floor and 14-for-29 from three, securing their third victory in four games.
There was only one play that everyone was interested in later.
“One characteristic that all great players have is resourcefulness and the ability, in a split second, to invent something special,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of Haliburton’s pass. “And he did exactly that.
“That’s a play that gave us momentum. If that possession had failed, the Knicks could have gained a lot of momentum. The only words I can think of are, “It’s just special… just special stuff.”
For Haliburton, it was a memorable night on several levels. He won his first game at Madison Square Garden, which he proudly reminded everyone — including the locker room attendants — afterward. It was also the first time he had played at least 30 minutes since his recent recovery from a hamstring ailment that had plagued him for the previous month.
On top of that, he executed a new hallmark play, which he admitted he had considered in the first half before spotting the opportunity in the third quarter.
“I’ve never done that before,” Haliburton said with a smile after scoring 22 points and 12 assists in 30 minutes. “You see so many players in the NBA attempting to make plays off the backboard.
“I was planning to try it in the first half, just off to the right, but it was a funny angle. In transition, it felt like there was a lot of space in the paint. So, yeah, just playing basketball and having fun.”
It’s hard not to like playing alongside Haliburton, who led the Pacers to the in-season tournament title game and currently ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference. However, Indiana is only one game ahead of the eighth-place Miami Heat in the rankings, with the two teams matched in terms of losses.
Part of the reason for this is Haliburton’s chronic hamstring issue, which has prevented him from spending much time with Siakam, who came to Indiana in a blockbuster trade from the Toronto Raptors last month. Siakam has swiftly established himself as Indiana’s second option, recording 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists against New York.
This was the eighth game the two stars had played together since the trade, with Haliburton playing in all eight but with limited minutes due to his hamstring. And, as Siakam discovered Saturday, one must become accustomed to Haliburton’s degree of creativity, which he is still adjusting to.
“We had a couple turnovers, him looking and looking me off and then I’m thinking he was doing something else and then he passes it,” he added. “So I just have to be ready at all times, and we’ll work out rhythms. He understands my rhythms, and I understand his rhythms. I’ve never played with someone like him before, so I’m learning on the fly, and I believe the more we’re out there, the more comfortable we’ll grow.”
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