Hello, Hali — Tyrese Haliburton drops a career-high 43 points in Pacers' win in Miami: Running Thoughts
'...He’s an actions guy, he’s not words guy': Tyrese Haliburton made 10 3s and had 43 points- both career-highs - after being held to one point last time against the Miami Heat.
Here are my running thoughts from the Pacers’ 111-108 win over the Miami Heat Friday night at, for now, FTX Arena.
Aaron Nesmith is sidelined for his fifth game this season. This time, it’s a right ankle sprain. Tyrese Haliburton (sore right wrist) was a game-time decision, then was in the starting lineup after testing it in warmups.
Terry Taylor, who scored a G League Showcase high 46 points Thursday in the Mad Ants’ win, did not rejoin the team in Miami.
Haliburton with a trifecta of 3s in the first five minutes, which is a good sign. When these teams played 10 days ago, Haliburton was held to a season-low 1 point on 0-for-9 shooting.
4:54: Myles Turner called for defensive three seconds, but the official got that wrong. He is a veteran now and wisely stepped out of the paint, then back in. Just a missed call.
Heat playing undrafted rookie Orlando Robinson at backup center, replacing Adebayo. Both Dewayne Dedmon and Udonis Haslem are out with injuries.
3:02: Jimmy Butler bailed out with a foul call. He’s already attempted more foul shots (5) than the Pacers (2).
Pacers seemed to have solved their first-quarter woes. They lead after 1 for the fourth time in five games, 31-28, thanks to a 3 from Jalen Smith. The most interesting note to me is Bam Adebayo, who had 17 rebounds last meeting, didn’t have one in the first seven minutes.
7:15: Turner to the bench with three fouls, which requires Smith to to play a larger role in this game.
3:09: Kyle Lowry draws an offensive foul. Drink!
2:02: I like this timeout from Rick Carlisle. Pacers’ last four shots are 3s and they’re getting beat defensively. Important to regroup before halftime.
I didn't like the Pacers' close to the half. They settled for 3s and didn't get into their offense. Both teams shooting ~50%, Heat lead it 58-56.
SECOND HALF
10:15: 5-0 start to the half from the Heat and Carlisle wants to talk things over.
9:28: Fourth foul on Turner, who’s scoreless in 13 minutes. He’s replaced by Smith.
Heat continuing to send a double when Haliburton has the ball. This tries to keep him from initiating the offense and getting into what he likes + see. And it should open things up for the other four.
3:15: Feels like the Pacers are living on the edge and will live/die from distance. Haliburton hits his 7th, matching his career-high, to give the Pacers back the lead. But they’ve attempted 57 shots and 31 have been from range. Compare that with the Heat — 21 of 61 attempts from deep.
(Spoiler: They lived.)
Pacers up 84-82 after 3, which is close to the *final* score from back on Dec. 12, the lowest-scoring NBA game this season. Haliburton has eight 3s, half the Pacers’ output and Jimmy Butler (20) has it going for the Heat.
92-84: Pacers scored eight points unanswered, leading to a Heat timeout. Not only is Haliburton shooting well, but so is Buddy Hield. He’s made 7 of 10 from outside. This is reminiscent of Paul George and C.J. Miles combined for 15 3s in Washington in Nov. 2015.
3:26: There it is … a new career-high for Haliburton. 40 points.
1:49: T.J. McConnell is pissed about something, maybe himself. He throws a towel at the bench as he’s replaced in the lineup during the timeout by Hield.
It’s bizarre that Butler, who scored 20 points in the first three quarters, hasn’t played in the fourth. Something must be up.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said postgame that Butler sprained his ankle in the first quarter, it tightened up in the first quarter and then he wasn’t moving great in the third quarter so they held him out.
Turner played the entire fourth quarter through foul trouble. “I thought Myles Turner’s defense in the fourth quarter, after he had been taken out of the rhythm of the game with fouls, was spectacular and a a big part of us being able to be in position to win,” Carlisle said after the game.
:20.2: Left open on the left arc, Andrew Nembhard misses a 3, which could’ve been the dagger. It’s just a three-point game.
:14: Huge 3-pointer out of the timeout from Tyler Herro moving to his right. And a moving screen on Adebayo was completely missed. Tied the game at 114.
Haliburton postgame to Bally Sports Indiana: “When Tyler hit that shot, I told everybody to give me the ball and the game will be over.”
:4.4: There it is… Haliburton answered. He drained a game-winner from straight on and 28 feet out. Herro and Lowry have a miscommunication and neither jumped out to contest the shot.
Then Herro, who tallied 28 points, missed a last-ditch attempt, stumbling into a shot from mid-court.
Carlisle’s take: “Great players find a way to get that shot off. We ran a simple action and he made a move that created a pocket of space and allowed him to get his feet set. I was standing right behind it and it looked good all the way.”
Spoelstra on Haliburton: “He had a tremendous night and in a perfect world, you’d just like to see anybody but him shoot it.”