Notebook: Update on Haliburton, Curry comes through for kids, Turner takes fans BTS
The Pacers are 6-0 in 2025, but likely will be without Haliburton in the short-term. Plus, the team lacks All-Star fan votes, Steph Curry is for the kids, and Simon family loses Malibu home.
The Pacers’ second-half performance on Sunday was one to remember, and one fans may not be ready to move on from just yet.
After a bad first half, trailing 10-0 from the jump and then by 13 points at halftime, the Pacers came out of the locker room and used two 30-plus quarters to surge past the hottest team in the league and hang the Cleveland Cavaliers just their second loss at home all season.
108-93 was the final and the Pacers were +28 in the second half, notably holding the Cavs to 28.2% shooting and forcing nearly as many turnovers (8) as field goals allowed (11).
Coming off a good win or troubling loss in the NBA, they don’t have much time to savor or get down about it. It’s on to the next.
In this instance, however, it just so happens that they’ll meet the Cavs again to complete the home-and-home. Most on the team will tell you that they prefer these two-game series since it allows you to truly lock in on the scout and treat it more like a playoff game. Because games come so quickly, sometimes four in seven days, players only have so much time to look over a scout and review film.
One thing is for sure: the 33-5 Cavs will be motivated and wanting payback. They know they’re a better team than the one that played the last 24 minutes.
The Pacers’ second-half surge was completed without Tyrese Haliburton, who watched all but the final five minutes or so back in the locker room after being ruled out at halftime. That was due to left hamstring tightness, which is alarming because it’s the same hamstring that negatively impacted him one year ago — for the rest of the summer and then again at the Olympics.
Haliburton, 24, is listed as doubtful with hamstring soreness, but no further update was provided. However, it’s likely that he won’t be available for Tuesday’s game, which will air nationally on TNT.
Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Bennedict Mathurin have played in all 40 games this season.
Pacers (22-18) head coach Rick Carlisle joined “The Wake-Up Call with KB and Andy” on 107.5 The Fan at 8 a.m., as he does each Tuesday, and shared more context.
“Doubtful on a game day — it’s rare that the status changes on a game day. It’s possible, but very unlikely. The good news is that we don’t believe it’s serious; it was soreness, tightness. When you have a high-functioning athlete and skill player like Tyrese, tightness can really make it difficult for him to play at the level that he plays at. Having him come out of the game was absolutely the right thing to do.”
Haliburton and Siakam were nominees for Eastern Conference Player of the Week for last week, which was won by Cleveland’s Darius Garland.
Aaron Nesmith has been sidelined with a left ankle injury since Nov. 1, but I’m told he’s likely back in uniform before Paris, as soon as Thursday in Detroit.
As for the Cavs, Ty Jerome (illness) is doubtful as well.
With the win on Sunday, the Pacers stretched their win streak to six in a row to remain undefeated in 2025.
Note: You can catch my usual Tuesday segment on “Query & Company” at 2 p.m. ET.
⭐️ Pacers Lacking All-Star Votes
The league released second returns for All-Star 2025 voting last Thursday and, once again, no Pacer has cracked the top 10 among frontcourt or backcourt players in the Eastern Conference.
This is the fan vote, which accounts for 50% of the vote to determine the 10 starters. Players (25%) and media (25%) voting make up the other 50%.
The 24 All-Star selections will be divided up into three teams of eight, plus a fourth team consisting of the winning team from the Rising Stars on Friday. The teams will play a semifinal, with two teams advancing to the finals.
The All-Star game will be held on Sunday, Feb. 16 at Chase Center in San Francisco. And remember, the game will have a different feel.
🇫🇷 Paris Night…
At this time next week, the team will be in France as one of two teams playing in the first Global Games of 2025. The Pacers will be secondary given that they’ll be facing France native Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in a pair of games.
Leading up to it, the team is hosting Paris night on Tuesday for their home game against the Cavs. That includes speciality bistro burgers in section 118, for example.
🏹 Steph Curry Makes Up For Sitting Out
So many fans were disappointed last Friday when the Warriors were in town for their annual visit and star guard Steph Curry did not play. He was ruled out hours before the game with knee injury management despite playing 36 minutes the night before.
What didn’t surprise me, however, was Curry finding a way to make up for it — at least for a small group. Some players would have hung out back in the locker room during the game. Curry did not.
And before the game, Curry made good use of the time he ordinarily spends warming up on the court in front of, no exaggeration, thousands.
He made a special core memory for at least a dozen kids. A staff member from the team selected young kids in the stands that were wearing his jersey and invited them back for a meet-and-greet.
From Brian Hastings on Instagram:
Bennett is a huge Steph Curry fan and watches any chance he gets. We had to take advantage of him playing only 2 hours away against the Pacers
5:30pm - get to the arena 90 mins before tip because Bennett’s Dad is a dork and LOVES to see the team warm up
6:05pm - we found out Steph wasn’t playing and I had to figure out the best way as a Dad to tell him without crushing him. Dude had a great attitude and said to me, “it’s no big deal Dad, we’ll see him play another time”
6:15pm - Warriors staffer comes over to us and asks us if we want to go to the media room and meet the greatest 3 point shooter in NBA history. Said Steph felt terrible for sitting and wanted to make it up to a few kids. The level of excitement this kid had is something that you pray for as a parent
Classy move by one of the best players of all time and have a deeper level of respect for the man
Last night is a night I’ll never forget and so blessed to share it with this kid
Curry is in touch reality and understands the impact he has, especially on young kids. He welcomed his fourth child last May.
Tominaga Sees Curry Too
Curry made his rounds on Friday night.
Indiana Mad Ants guard Keisei Tominaga became the first international player to sign with Curry Brand (part of UA) last June. And so Tominaga met up with Curry at The Fieldhouse on Friday and got a photo with Steph — while wearing his hoodie.
Simon Family Loses Malibu Home
We’re all thinking about those impacted by the California wildfires, including those still fighting them to this day.
Over the weekend, Bui Simon — wife of Pacers owner Herb Simon — shared that the sad news that their Malibu home was completely wiped out.
We lost our beloved home in Malibu yesterday. So many precious memories in that special house... where my babies were born and raised. My first home and sacred nest for 25 years has now been reduced to ashes... erasing all the belongings, photos and mementos of the last few decades.
In these shocking moments, I am profoundly reminded of how precious life is, and that our friends and Loved ones are what truly matters most.
Goodbyes are never easy, but unfortunately we must accept them as a profound part of life. I am thankful that my babies got to accompany me back to Malibu before they returned to school/work. It was surreal, but we made peace with our sadness. Before we departed, we said a prayer of gratitude thanking our beloved home for being a place that housed our most sentimental memories.
🎥 Turner Takes Fans BTS
BTS… as in behind the scenes.
It’s early into 2025, but Myles Turner is the way-too-early favorite for Pacers social media post of the year. The Pacers’ center since 2015 shared in an Instagram post what a typical day is like for him on the road.
It was very well done.
