“One for the team and one for the fans.” That’s not just a mantra. It’s the heartbeat of every Pacers star this postseason. And no one embodies it better than Tyrese Haliburton. The kid from Wisconsin is rewriting the clutch gene. Tyrese Haliburton achieved in one playoff what Michael Jordan needed an entire career to do. He nailed four tie-or-go-ahead shots in the final three seconds across four rounds. LeBron James never did it. Indiana believes. So does history.

And now, as Game 2 of the Finals series awaits at Paycom Center on Sunday, the league’s “most overrated” player (it’s a running joke now!) faced the media for some pre-game talk. Hali knows just how much basketball means to Indiana and how rare this moment is—25 years in the making. He understands the urgency to seize it, knowing how tough it is to win the Finals and how close they are now.

“I think, obviously, the sense of urgency for Indiana fans and everybody should be heightened. Because we always talk about never knowing when you’ll get this moment again or if you’ll get this moment again,” Tyrese Haliburton told the media. Then he shared a conversation he had with LeBron’s business partner, Steve Nash. “I had a great conversation with Steve Nash a couple of days ago. He said, ‘Hey, you’re in a rare era. I’ve never been there.’ And I thought, Steve Nash has never been? That’s pretty crazy. Some guys don’t get the chance to do that.”

Most importantly, Haliburton is soaking in every second. After a rocky start to the season, doubts crept in. Would they make the playoffs? Was last year a fluke? He admits he took that run to the Eastern Conference Finals for granted. But not this time. Now, with every game, he’s staying present, grounded, and ready to chase what once felt out of reach.

But Haliburton’s journey is not just built on big shots and big dreams. Behind the scenes, connections are shaping his rise. And it’s not his connection, but Andrew Nembhard’s, which is making all the difference for the

Indiana Pacers. Call it an upper-hand, because it looks like it.

Andrew Nembhard’s deep connection with Thunder is flipping the script for Tyrese Haliburton & Co.

From Ontario’s youth courts to the 2025 NBA Finals, Andrew Nembhard and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have crafted a story worthy of a movie. Once rivals, then teammates for Canada, the two now lead the Pacers and Thunder in a battle for glory. Shai reigns as MVP. Nembhard rises as a fearless force. Their maple leaf bond runs deep, but this title race runs deeper. However, Andrew-Shai aren’t the only duo, throw in Chet Holmgren too!

Therefore, Shaun Powell said, “They both grew up in the Toronto area in Canada. Andrew Nembhard has known Shai and defended Shai longer than anybody in the NBA because those guys used to square off in high school. And then, you know, their careers took different turns… And by the way, the last couple of years, he was Chet Holmgren’s teammate at Gonzaga. So he’s got a connection against Chet. He’s got a deeper connection with Shai.”

 

Most importantly, Andrew Nembhard is growing up fast, and the playoffs are his proving ground. After battling Jalen Brunson, he now faces MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander without flinching. Under the brightest lights, he delivered on both ends in the fourth quarter. With 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 45.8 percent shooting, Nembhard is quietly becoming Indiana’s unsung hero when it matters most. The perfect and much-needed support for Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton.

Tyrese Haliburton is living a moment even Steve Nash never reached—and he knows it. But he is not doing it alone. Andrew Nembhard, armed with old ties to Shai and Chet, is giving the Pacers an edge no one saw coming. With Haliburton’s fire and Nembhard’s fearless rise, Indiana is writing a Finals story for the ages.