Tyrese Haliburton went from Game 1 hero to ‘Hey, is he even out there?’ for Game 2 real quick. After stealing the spotlight—and the game—on a dramatic final possession in Game 1, Haliburton entered Game 2 with expectations higher than Myles Turner’s vertical contest numbers. But instead of delivering another signature performance, the Indiana Pacers star guard found himself locked in a Thunderstorm of defense. He looked less like a franchise cornerstone. Indeed, more like someone desperately refreshing NBA League Pass for answers.

Oklahoma City had receipts. They’d spent 48 hours replaying Haliburton’s Game 1 dagger. And they came into Sunday’s matchup with one mission: erase him from existence. And did they come close? Let’s get this out of the way: Lu Dort is built like a fullback and moves like a cornerback. He is the playoff version of the claps emoji. Haliburton had just five points on 2-of-7 shooting through three quarters, and Dort was glued to him like bubblegum on sneakers.

And if you thought Lu was the only one checking him? Think again. The Thunder were rotating defensive pests like they were on a buffet line. Caruso took a few shifts and forced a backcourt violation that felt like a scene straight out of White Men Can’t Jump: Defensive Edition. Cason Wallace stayed in Haliburton’s jersey like he was doing laundry. And Chet Holmgren? That 7’1” unicorn with the wingspan of a pterodactyl stepped up midway through the second to force a key turnover that left Haliburton looking like he forgot the playbook.

After the game, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle tried to diffuse the growing conversation around Haliburton’s underwhelming night. “There’s a lot more to the game than just scoring. Everybody’s got to do more,” he said. And while that’s true, when your team’s primary engine is sputtering like an old 2003 Carmelo Anthony Nuggets highlight reel with buffering issues, the whole offense suffers.

The numbers don’t lie—Indiana is 8-1 when Haliburton scores 18 or more this postseason. They’re 5-4 when he doesn’t. Want to guess how many he had in Game 2? Seventeen. But wait—12 of those came in the fourth quarter, when OKC already had one foot in the locker room and the other on a celebratory Gatorade bath.

That’s right—Haliburton’s scoring explosion came when the game was already out of reach. It’s like dropping 20 points in an All-Star Game and claiming you “played defense.”

What Went Wrong for Haliburton?

The Pacers’ pace was off. (Irony? Sure.) The offense lacked flow. The threes weren’t dropping like they were in Game 1, where Indiana shot like a vintage Warriors team. In Game 2? 14-of-40 from deep, including a brickfest from Obi Toppin (1-for-5) that made fans wish the three-point line came with a refund policy.

Pascal Siakam? Ice cold, shooting 3-for-11, and clearly still trying to find where his offensive rhythm went. Meanwhile, Haliburton’s seven total field goal attempts through three quarters felt like he was saving himself for Game 3—or maybe just trying to get his cardio in. That’s not going to cut it in the NBA Finals, especially against a Thunder team that runs like prime Westbrook and passes like Spurs-era Manu.

While Haliburton hesitated, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was orchestrating a basketball symphony, dropping 34 points with the elegance of a ballerina and the efficiency of a Kawhi Leonard spreadsheet. He got into the paint, drew contact, hit mid-rangers, and spoon-fed his teammates open looks. If Game 1 was Tyrese’s time to shine, Game 2 was all Shai. Period.

Aaron Wiggins came out of nowhere with 18 points and five threes, reminding everyone that OKC’s bench isn’t just deep—it’s dangerous. The Thunder ran up a 19-2 run in the second quarter, outscoring the Pacers by 24 points in Wiggins’ 21 minutes. That’s not a stat line—that’s a mixtape. Haliburton: 17 points, 6 assists, 5 turnovers, -5 plus/minus. Through 3 quarters: 5 points, 2-of-7 shooting. Pacers shot 45.1% overall, but were often playing from behind. Thunder had six players score in double figures. OKC is now 17-2 after a loss this season.

The reality is, Haliburton doesn’t need to be Michael Jordan every night. But he can’t be Casper the Friendly Point Guard either. The Thunder smelled blood early, and once they took a 59-41 halftime lead, the Pacers never truly threatened again. Hali even reflected on the 4th quarter during the postgame pressers, “I think throughout the course of a series, even in the games you lose, you’re always trying to learn — see where you can get better. We had some success tonight with me playing off the pitch a bit more, flying around.” That’s right. He wasn’t just playing. But what about the turnovers?

He said. ” When I’m in that high ball screen, which I feel confident in, it lets the defense load up, pack the paint. They got a couple of steals off that. I had some really dumb turnovers tonight. They were mixing things up — showing a soft blitz at times, then a full blitz. They’re giving me different looks, and I’ve got to do a better job figuring out how to adjust.” The series now heads to Indiana for Game 3, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Haliburton, it’s that he doesn’t stay down for long.

He’s the kind of player who can turn criticism into fuel. Additionally, with the home crowd behind him, expect him to come out looking to torch every single Thunder defender who dared to switch onto him. If he doesn’t, well… the Pacers might find themselves doing postgame interviews about “moral victories” instead of hoisting trophies.

This series is far from over, but Indiana needs Haliburton to show up early, not just when the game’s already lost. Otherwise, the Thunder might just roll straight through the rest of this Finals like a 2012 Heat fast break.