Let’s be real—Indiana hasn’t felt this electric since Reggie Miller was torching the Knicks at Madison Square Garden with eight points in nine seconds. But now, nearly 25 years later, it’s Tyrese Haliburton leading the charge, and Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals felt like a full-circle moment for Pacers fans. With Reggie Miller sitting courtside and a raucous crowd roaring every time Haliburton pulled up from deep, it was an emotional rollercoaster that ended with confetti, family hugs, and one hilarious roast involving jeans.

And yes, you read that right—jeans. As the clock wound down in Indiana’s 116-107 win over the Thunder, cameras zoomed in on a moment that said it all: Tyrese Haliburton wrapped in a tight hug with Reggie Miller, followed by a warm exchange with Reggie’s kids. Twitter lit up. Pacers fans lit up. Even Tyrese’s dad probably lit up—though not in those jeans (we’ll get to that gem soon).

Asked postgame what it meant to share this moment with Reggie and the Indiana faithful, Tyrese delivered a message that had basketball purists melting: “Yeah, it’s special and you don’t want to take it for granted. I mean, I was like 3 months old last time they made the Finals… I think our fans are hungry, man—they want to watch winning basketball and they want to be a part of it. And, you know, I think as a group we just keep taking—every year we’ve taken a jump and we’re here now.”

He wasn’t done. With the poise of a vet and the love of a diehard Hoosier, Tyrese added: “It’s really cool to see alumni come back, guys like Reggie, Mark Jackson… even Pat and Edge James… That’s super cool to see all these people from Indy come out and get that love, because this really is such a great sports town.” From Baby Reggie to Babyface Assassin 2.0, Haliburton is giving Indy something to believe in.

And now, onto the MVP of the postgame press conference—John Haliburton’s jeans. While Tyrese was draining threes like it was NBA Jam—finishing with 22 points, 11 assists, and 4 threes—his dad was making headlines of his own… for his fashion sense. “I’m gonna go say what up and he gonna go home. He outta pocket for them jeans, but other than that, it’s good to see him out here,” Tyrese said with the most casual ether in press conference history.

This is the same John Haliburton who got into a heated headbutt-level stare-down with Giannis earlier in the playoffs and got banned from games. Yes, the Giannis-ban-him-from-the-building John. Fast-forward a few weeks, and he’s back in the arena, hanging out with Caitlin Clark, being roasted by his son on national television for rocking what we can only assume were the denim equivalent of a heat check gone wrong.

Tyrese and the Pacers Cookin’ With Gasoline

While the jeans were questionable, Tyrese’s game was not. The Pacers shot 51.8% from the field in Game 3, outscoring OKC in a dazzling fourth quarter that left Thunder fans with the same expression Josh Giddey had when he found out he wouldn’t be in the rotation: stunned. Bennedict Mathurin led all scorers with 27 on 75% shooting. Tyrese was slinging passes like he was playing with sliders on 2K, dishing 11 assists and keeping the game tempo high. T.J. McConnell, the gritty vet, also gave the Pacers a serious spark, while Pascal Siakam (21 points) was cooking defenders like they were practice cones.

The Thunder, on the other hand, saw their shooting percentage collapse in the fourth like the Lakers’ 2023 playoff hopes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (24 points) tried to carry the load, but his efficiency dropped like Westbrook’s three-point percentage in crunch time. Chet Holmgren had a near double-double but was overwhelmed late. Jalen Williams gave them 26, but it felt like OKC ran out of gas once Indiana’s defense clamped up like prime Ben Wallace on a bad day.

With this win, the Pacers now hold a 2-1 lead in the series and have a chance to go up 3-1 in Game 4. This team, which started the season as fun underdogs, has turned into the most entertaining Finals squad since the 2015 Warriors.

Reggie was nervous before the game. The fans were anxious. But Tyrese Haliburton? He was cool as ever, orchestrating a masterclass with humor, heart, and handles. Indiana hasn’t felt this alive in decades. And as long as Tyrese keeps doing Tyrese things—on the court, with the media, and even while calling out his dad’s jeans—we’re all better off for it.

Let’s just hope John leaves the jeans at home next time.