Tyrese Haliburton was playing Game 6 like a man possessed. Picture this: a 23-year-old star dragging his busted calf up and down the court, wincing through every cut, yet somehow dropping 14 clutch points when his team needed him most. Doctors would tell you a Grade 2 calf strain should’ve had him sidelined. But Tyrese did Tyrese things and Pacers are onto the Game 7.

And here’s the thing. The real story was on Instagram, where Jade Jones, his girlfriend, posted a simple photo of Pacers gear with one word: “Mommas.” Yeah, Just that one word, but that one word defines entire story.

You want to understand that post? Rewind the tape. Years before Tyrese was hitting game-winners, Brenda Haliburton was clocking out of night shifts just in time to drive her son to 5 AM workouts. She wasn’t just paying for AAU tournaments—she was paying in sleep, in comfort, in quiet moments she’ll never get back. Every exhausted morning was another brick in the foundation of the player we saw refusing to quit in the playoffs.

That “Mommas” post? That wasn’t just Jade giving Brenda her flowers. It was proof—finally—that the world saw what she’s always known: behind every great athlete is a woman who taught him how to fight. And sometimes, if he’s lucky, another woman who helps him remember why.

Jade’s rule to Tyrese Haliburton that saved the Pacers’ finals run

When Tyrese Haliburton’s calf strain threatened to derail Indiana’s championship hopes (and an unhealthy habit caught in 4k later), the Pacers’ medical staff weren’t his only recovery team. Behind the scenes, his girlfriend Jade Jones was running an unconventional but highly effective rehab program.

The strategy was simple, yet brilliant. “Before we put Love Island on, we gotta put something on the calf,” became Jade’s non-negotiable rule during the Finals. Every night, their reality TV ritual was deliberately tied to Tyrese’s recovery work – no episode until he completed his 45-minute routine of ice, compression, and mobility exercises.

Sports psychologists would later praise this approach as a textbook example of “temptation bundling.” By pairing an essential but tedious task (rehab) with a highly anticipated reward (their favorite show), Jade boosted Tyrese’s compliance when it mattered most. The results spoke for themselves – his Game 6 performance (14 points in 23 minutes) defied medical expectations for a Grade 2 calf strain.

What made Jade’s method particularly effective was its consistency. While trainers focused on the physical aspects during the day, she maintained discipline during off-hours. This unsung contribution highlights a growing trend in professional sports – the crucial role partners play in an athlete’s recovery. Not through medical expertise, but through intimate knowledge of what truly motivates their significant other. For Tyrese, it wasn’t just about healing his calf – it was about earning those precious moments of relaxation with Jade after doing the hard work.

As the Pacers prepare for Game 7 of the NBA Finals against Thunder, one thing is certain: wherever Tyrese’s career takes him, Jade will be there with both the remote control and the ice packs – proving that sometimes, the best rehab plans come with built-in commercial breaks.