Tyrese Haliburton had himself a night—not just on the hardwood, but also on the runway. In a game that might just go down as one of the Pacers’ most complete performances this postseason, the 24-year-old star wasn’t just dishing dimes—he was handing out defensive clinics too. And don’t worry, he showed up in a suit so clean it made Tim Duncan’s fundamentals look flashy.

After a bumpy Game 2 showing where Tyrese finished with just 17 points and six assists, he bounced back with an almost triple-double in Game 3: 22 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds. Just one board shy of that milestone. If he had grabbed it, we would’ve been quoting Jason Kidd and calling him Mr. Triple-Double-lite.

But beyond the stats, this game was about statement defense—and the Pacers put NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a straitjacket. SGA still finished with 24 points (because he’s that good), but this was a guy averaging 30.7 in the playoffs and 32.7 in the regular season. That drop was steeper than Ben Simmons’ confidence at the free throw line.

Speaking of which, Tyrese gave a masterclass postgame breakdown of how they corralled Shai, and you could tell the man did his film homework. “With Shai, he’s so good—he’s so slippery in between those gaps. It’s like he splits screens and you’re like, ‘I don’t know how he’s doing that,’” Haliburton said. “If I’m flat, there’s nothing I can do with him coming downhill. So just consistently trying to grow… I think the big thing that makes it easier is when Drew [Andrew Nembhard] is really blowing through those screens.”

Yes, Chet Holmgren, the NBA’s unofficial Minister of Defense, was out there putting in blue-collar work. As Tyrese said, he’s “getting held and having to fight through. It’s the Finals, it’s physical basketball.” Honestly, Andrew going through screens is like watching Kawhi read body language—surgical and scary.

Haliburton emphasized just how important it was to keep the pressure at the level of the screen. No backing off. Because when you do, SGA turns into a surgical knife. “Whatever it is—show at the level—I just can’t be flat,” Tyrese continued. “So just gotta do a better job… if I can just hold him for a second, give [Andrew] more time to get back square, it makes things easier.”

Man’s out here narrating defensive rotations like a basketball TED Talk.

What does SGA think about Tyrese’s Pacers?

On the flip side, Shai was honest in his own postgame remarks. He wasn’t pointing fingers. He knew the Pacers came in with the intensity knob turned all the way up. “They were higher in the pick and rolls. Just like Coach said, more aggressive, more forceful,” SGA admitted. “It starts with me, but we’ve got to apply that pressure back.” He also added some classic film-room humility: “It’s hard to say [what went wrong]… after watching film, we’ll definitely have a better idea… felt like when they scored, we’re going against a set defense, and it’s always harder.”

Translation: The Pacers had them stuck like James Harden in a second-round playoff series.

The game wasn’t just about Haliburton and SGA, though. Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench like a cheat code—27 points in 22 minutes? That’s microwave scoring if we’ve ever seen it. Pascal Siakam threw in 21 points like it was a casual Tuesday. And the Pacers held OKC to just 18 points in the fourth quarter. That’s fewer buckets than Shaq’s career three-point attempts.

And of course, Tyrese was the connector, the chess master. You can’t say “Pacers” without saying “Tyrese” four times, minimum. He’s the oil in the engine, the conductor of the offense, the guy who makes watching Indiana basketball feel like you’re sipping vintage Spurs ball movement with a sprinkle of Lob City.

Let’s also not forget the look. Tyrese entered Game 3 dressed like he was accepting an Oscar and playing in the Finals. A black tailored suit with white stud accents? Sunglasses indoors? He looked like he walked straight off the set of a Jordan Brand mafia drama. His girlfriend, Jade Jones, reposted his NBA-style moment with four heart-eyed emojis. You don’t need a caption when you’ve got fashion AND Finals flow.

The Pacers are now up 2-1 in the series, just two wins away from basketball immortality—and if Tyrese keeps playing like this, we might need to start carving a little extra shelf space in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Game 4 tips off Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET. Buckle up, because Tyrese and the Pacers aren’t just in the Finals. They’re making statements.