The Fever’s playoff run was supposed to be a quick chapter, not a headline. Aliyah Boston clearly didn’t read that script. With 7.4 seconds left, she dropped the go-ahead basket, Lexie Hull ripped the ball away on the inbound, and suddenly, Indiana had stunned the Atlanta Dream 87-85 to crash into the WNBA semifinals. Back home, one of the loudest voices cheering belonged to Tyrese Haliburton, as always.

The Pacers star wasn’t in uniform, but his energy was unmistakable. In a video posted by fiancée Jade Jones, Haliburton was shouting at the TV like a man who’d drawn up the play himself: “Steal! Give it up! Go! Go! Oh, yeah. Hell yeah, Lexi! Step forward! Let’s go! Come on! Yes.” Jade couldn’t resist a caption that landed like a dagger, as she wrote, “what’d I tell yall!!! FEVER IN 3!!!!!” The best part, though?

Almost every expert had picked Atlanta to win. So when Indiana pulled off the upset, the Fever’s own account shot back with three words that cut deeper than any stat line: “Now You Know.” Period included. The series itself was a rollercoaster. Indiana’s first playoff series win since 2015 required a decisive Game 3. Atlanta had home-court advantage for Game 3, but a 7-0 fourth-quarter run from Indiana sealed it.

The Dream shot 50% as a team, led by Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada with 19 and 18 points respectively, but struggled at the free-throw line (5-for-11) and committed 22 fouls. Meanwhile, the Fever, despite shooting 41.6%, capitalized on free throws (17-for-24) and showed resilience without key players like Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, and Chloe Bibby. Clark, though out for the season, played a pivotal role on the sidelines during the Fever’s push for the playoffs. And that’s the backdrop for a courtside appearance that turned heads.

Haliburton, still recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Thunder, showed up to cheer, booted but unbowed, earlier, in July’s Fever vs Sparks. Haliburton’s NBA postseason had delivered some of the most jaw-dropping moments Indiana has seen in years.

In Game 6 against the Knicks, he averaged 21 points, 10.5 assists, and 6 rebounds, pushing the Pacers past New York 125-108. The team shot 51.5% from three-point range and forced 18 turnovers, converting them into 34 points, marking the most points off turnovers for the franchise in a playoff game. For a franchise that hadn’t reached the Eastern Conference Finals in a decade, Haliburton’s performance was a defining moment. Yet, the Finals Game 7 brought heartbreak.

A torn right Achilles sidelined him for the entire 2025-26 season. The NBA world had watched the rise of a player who could very well be the next Reggie Miller, a two-time All-Star, Olympic gold medalist, and now the face of the Pacers’ $245 million future, come crashing down in the Finals. And yet, here he was, courtside, proving that leadership isn’t just about stats, but about showing up when it counts. 

Fever pulls off Tyrese Haliburton’s NBA playoffs heroics

Earlier this summer, Haliburton and Clark had started building a courtside culture that blurred NBA-WNBA lines. When Clark was sidelined with a groin injury, Haliburton appeared at Fever games, boots and all, offering energy, presence, and unspoken support. Their friendship is as much about respect and Midwest grind as it is basketball IQ. Caitlin herself once said, “Ty and I would both tell you this is where we hope to stay the rest of our careers.” That aspiration is for Indiana to build a cross-league power duo. But back to Game 3 against Atlanta, Boston’s go-ahead shot and Hull’s steal would have felt electric even without Haliburton and Jones watching from home, but their energy amplified it.

Watching a player who can hit clutch shots like Tyrese as he recorded five go-ahead or game-tying field goals in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or OT during the 2024-25 playoffs, tying Reggie Miller for second-most in a single postseason since 1997, is like watching a live blueprint of pressure-point execution. Only LeBron, with eight, has more, and Haliburton did it across all playoff rounds. Meanwhile, the Fever leaned on their own stars.

Lexie Hull and Aliyah Boston were proving that even without Clark, Indiana’s young core could carry weight. Their hustle, free-throw efficiency, and defensive discipline created a perfect storm, especially against Atlanta, whose season ended with the loss. Indiana fans had waited a decade for a playoff breakthrough, and this felt like reclamation. Caitlin Clark, despite her injury, remains a focal point.

Her All-Star Game dominance with 1,293,536 fan votes, breaking single-season records, keeps her a household name beyond Indiana. And with Haliburton appearing in a boot courtside, he reinforces that loyalty and presence matter just as much as scoring averages or free-throw percentages. It’s a synergy of NBA excellence meeting WNBA toughness. 

Looking at the numbers, the implications are clear. Indiana’s Fever outlasted Atlanta, capitalized on mistakes, and executed under pressure. Haliburton’s NBA heroics are mirrored in their WNBA performance: clutch shots, game management, and leadership under duress. And for fans, this intersection of Hali energy and playoff perseverance is exactly the blueprint Indiana needs for sustained success.

For the Pacers and Fever, the city-wide narrative is now unmistakable. Haliburton may be rehabbing from an injury that cost him a Finals win, but his impact resonates courtside and on the hardwood alike. Whether it’s guiding a franchise through a tough postseason or shouting through a screen at a Fever game, Tyrese Haliburton is proving that being a leader is as much about presence and culture as it is about buckets and assists.

Indiana’s stars are showing up for the city, the teams, and each other. And honestly? That’s how dynasties are made.