Stephen A. Smith vs. an NBA star? That’s nothing new. But during the NBA Finals, after Tyrese Haliburton clapped back at him and all his other critics, Stephen A. fired off his signature warning: “Players far more accomplished and far more superior have made their efforts trying to call me out. How has that worked out?” What was new? An ESPN colleague answered that question — live on air. One sharp comment, one stunned silence, and an abrupt cut to commercial that left viewers wondering if they’d just witnessed ESPN history.

The whole beef had been brewing for days, but it totally blew up after Tyrese Haliburton, who was clearly over all the constant noise, took a swipe at his critics. When someone asked him about the chatter after Game 3, he just totally brushed off the media “talking heads,” asking, “What do they really know about basketball?”. It all started with an anonymous player poll from The Athletic where Haliburton was weirdly voted the “most overrated player” in the league. That poll gave critics like Stephen A. Smith plenty to talk about. They basically said Haliburton’s a star, but not yet a “superstar.”

Of course, Hali’s comments were taken personally by SAS. He went on First Take and just unloaded. “Win the damn chip, bro. In the first two games of this NBA final series, you had your moment with 0.3 seconds left. Other than that, you didn’t play well.’“ And then, he dropped this absolute mic-drop bomb about how he sees his job: “They have to talk to you. I don’t get paid to talk to you. I get paid to talk about you.” Yikes. But for Pat McAfee, who’s totally ride-or-die for Indiana. He’d even tried to chill things out earlier, telling Smith on his own show to “relax, dude.”

For Pat McAfee, a proud Indiana guy and fellow ESPN host, this felt like a direct hit on his player. He’d even tried to calm things down earlier, telling Smith on his own show to “relax, dude.” But then, during a timeout in a super intense Game 4, with the Indiana crowd going absolutely wild, McAfee got handed a live microphone.

This was his moment. With a smirk you could practically hear, he started making fun of all the hype around Oklahoma City’s home-court advantage. “Even though we’re up 2-1 in the series with home court advantage… the Oklahoma City Thunder who are favored to win the NBA title,” he started, his voice dripping with sarcasm. The crowd was eating it up, altogether vibing with his “us against the world” energy.

Then, he dropped the bomb, directly calling out his colleague’s beef. “The sports books don’t know Stephen A. Smith!” McAfee yelled to the crowd. It was a clear jab at the media always questioning his team. He was basically saying that all the expert opinions and betting odds mean nothing when you’re up against this Pacers team and this Indiana crowd. “Not only are you playing the best team in the damn league,” he declared, “You’re also taking on the greatest fan base in the history of sport!”

But just as McAfee was hitting his crescendo, the broadcast did something strange. It abruptly cut away. The attack was launched, the promo was cut, and then… silence. Turns out, that awkward moment on air was just a preview. That sudden cut wasn’t the only L McAfee took that night, despite his passionate speech, his team lost.

Stephen A. gets the last laugh as Pacers implode

Okay, but seriously, what happened to the Pacers? Every single Pacers fan has gotta be asking this. It wasn’t just a few bad shots. Their whole awesome, free-flowing offense? Gone. They only got one single assist in the entire fourth quarter. Couldn’t hit a three to save their lives. It was a complete disaster. And then Bennedict Mathurin misses easy free throws and makes this insane foul with literally seconds left? 

And who was front and center for this mess? Yep, Tyrese Haliburton, the same dude Stephen A. was just going at! His team was literally begging him to show up, but he had a super ‘meh’ game, ending with just 18 points and, ugh, five turnovers. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the MVP, just said, ‘My turn,’ and dominated, scoring 15 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter alone. Haliburton? Totally disappeared when it mattered most. This was literally what Stephen A. Smith had been screaming about: big moment, star player fades, other team’s superstar shows up. It’s like Stephen A. wrote the ending himself.

Honestly, this is the most annoying part of Hali’s playoff run, even though he’s been awesome. He can hit these insane, clutch shots that make you scream, but then he just… vanishes for long stretches when his team desperately needs him. Remember Game 2? Only five points through three quarters. Or Game 5 against the Knicks? Just eight points. Even Hali admitted it after Game 2, saying he needed to “figure out how to be better earlier in games.” He knows he needs to be more consistent, but in the most important quarter of the Pacers’ entire season, he just couldn’t find it.

So yeah, when after Game 2, Stephen A. says that the game is “emblematic of the criticism he’s received,” he’s not just making things up. He’s literally pointing out that Hali has this real, inconsistent stretches.

In the end, McAfee’s super passionate speech? Just a tiny footnote to a super painful, brutal loss. His whole defense of Hali and the Pacers just sounded empty when they couldn’t deliver on the court. For one night, at least, Stephen A. Smith got the ultimate laugh, not with a huge speech, but with a game stat sheet that totally proved him right. Series is tied 2-2 now, and honestly? The Thunder have all the momentum.