How quickly the NBA storyline can flip. Just 72 hours ago, Tyrese Haliburton looked like he had one leg in a hyperbaric chamber and the other out the door. The Indiana Pacers were trailing 3–2, Game 6 was looking like a funeral procession for their title hopes, and everyone was wondering whether Haliburton would even be healthy enough to lace up. And then? Boom. Pacers win 108–91. OKC looked like someone had unplugged their controller, and Tyrese Haliburton reminded everyone why he’s that guy—all while running on a calf that looked like it had no business being on an NBA court.

Now, let’s talk about what Haliburton said after the win, because this wasn’t your usual “we just wanted it more” athlete cliche. Nope. Tyrese is on a whole other level mentally. During a postgame interview with Scott Van Pelt, Haliburton gave a masterclass in staying locked in: “Yeah, I think take the good with the good, the bad with the bad. Right now, for the next two days, everybody’s going to be talking about how good we looked, how well we played, how much pressure is on OKC — you know, that’s going to be the narrative. And we’ve got to do a good job of staying away from that stuff. I think that can be poison.”

He’s deleted all social media apps off his phone, and not just to avoid the memes or Skip Bayless takes. It’s about protecting the locker room from believing the hype. Haliburton knows all too well that praise travels faster than defense in a transition play, and just as easily blinds a team from the next challenge.

“If we do a good job of just kind of staying within ourselves in the locker room, I think that’s very important for us in these next couple days. We did some really good things tonight that we can build off of, but you’ve got to understand — it’s Game 7. There’s no such thing as, like, a pretty Game 7. They’re usually ugly, bloodbaths — figure it out — and that’s what it’s about.”

Ugly, Bloody, Beautiful: The Haliburton Effect

Playing on a strained right calf that flared up in Game 5, Haliburton still went out and dropped 14 points in 23 minutes, hit three threes, and even managed a full-on Matrix-style no-look pass to Pascal Siakam. And yeah, he slapped a few hands in the crowd while he was at it. Because of course he did.

The man missed his first four shots, and you could practically hear Twitter dusting off their “He’s washed!” tweets. But suddenly he was back—cutting, hopping, hitting bombs from 30 feet like nothing ever happened. If this were a regular-season game? He’d be in a hoodie on the bench. But in the Finals? Tyrese said, “I’m gonna do everything in my power to play. That’s just what it is.”

Indiana coach Rick Carlisle confirmed Haliburton passed strength tests before Game 6, but it was clear: this was Haliburton’s decision. He didn’t have to be out there. He wanted to be out there. “I have a lot of trust in our medical staff. I have a lot of trust in our organization to make the right decision,” Haliburton said. “I want to be out there. That’s the plan.”

Haliburton has been this team’s north star all playoffs long. Game 1 of the Finals? 0.3 seconds left. Cash. Game-winner. In April against the Bucks? Down 7 in OT, he hits a layup with 1.4 left. Against the Cavs in May? Down again late, he drains a three with 1.1 on the clock. In New York at the Garden? Forces OT with a last-second bucket.

This man isn’t just a floor general—he’s an elite drama conductor. And while Game 6 didn’t need any last-second fireworks, Haliburton still brought the show. Oklahoma City’s defensive ratings dropped harder than Ben Simmons’ trade value.

To put it mildly, the Thunder didn’t show up. They shot 41.9% from the field and 26.7% from three. Chet Holmgren went 2-of-9, Jalen Williams was a -40 in 26 minutes, and Lu Dort couldn’t have hit the ocean if he fell out of a boat. The Pacers didn’t just win—they erased OKC’s confidence like they were clearing cookies on a browser.

Indiana, meanwhile, had seven players in double digits, with Pascal Siakam grabbing 13 boards and Obi Toppin going 4-of-7 from deep. T.J. McConnell did a bit of everything—classic junkyard dog stuff—and Nembhard had the best +/- of the night at +19. And let’s not forget the impact James brought in just 2 minutes of gameplay before getting ejected!

So here we are. One game to decide it all. Game 7. On the road. Loud crowd. Bloodbath energy. As Tyrese said, “These guys are going to play hard. They make shots at a higher clip at home, you know, their crowd is amazing. So I’m excited, man. This is why we do what we do. This is the peak, the pinnacle of our sport — and to do that with these guys in this locker room, I’m so excited about it.”

There’s nothing left to scroll. No tweets to like. No takes to retweet. Just 48 minutes of pain, grit, and hopefully for Haliburton—a legacy moment on one good leg and a whole lot of heart.