Man, that Game 3 loss had to sting for the Indiana Pacers and their fans! You’re up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, you build a fat 20-point lead at home, and then… it all just slips away. The New York Knicks somehow clawed their way back to steal a 106-100 win, and just like that, the series feels completely different. After a loss like that, you need a leader to step up. And that’s exactly what Tyrese Haliburton did. But beyond the X’s and O’s, there’s this other weird, almost spooky thing hanging over the Pacers.

Let’s talk about this ‘curse’ first, because it’s wild. For some reason, whenever the Pacers play a home playoff game on the exact same day as the Indianapolis 500, they just can’t seem to win. Coming into Sunday, they were already 0-3 in those games. You had the loss to the Knicks way back in ’99, then a brutal blowout against the Pistons in ’04, and another L to LeBron’s Heat in 2013. Fans were hoping this year, with this team, they’d finally break the spell.

Haliburton himself sounded excited before the game, talking about how crazy and fun it would be with all those race fans potentially coming over to Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Well, add another one to the L column. The record is now a painful 0-4. Superstition or not, that’s a tough stat to ignore. But Tyrese Haliburton wasn’t blaming any curses post-game. He was looking straight in the mirror. When reporters asked him about the offense, especially down the stretch, Hali didn’t hesitate to take the heat.

He talked about walking the ball up more, trying to get guys in the right spots, but admitted, “It’s definitely an area where I know when I watch film, I’m going to kick myself for. I’m already thinking about it, kicking myself for it.” Then he got even more direct: “Honestly, I think a lot of our offensive struggles in the second half were, you know, due to me. So, you know, I got to be better there and I will be better in Game Four.” That’s accountability.

He didn’t stop there. When asked about the late-game execution, Haliburton was critical of his own play. “I didn’t do a great job of getting downhill and, you know, just making plays. I got to do a better job there,” he said. “I think I’m relied on to do a lot down the stretch of games, get guys in the right positions. And I feel like I didn’t do a great job at that.” He even pointed out specific things, like maybe needing to get the ball to Pascal Siakam more when Siakam had it going.

Additionally, he also owned up to some “bad turnovers,” saying his “decision-making probably wasn’t the best — especially on my end.” The Pacers’ offense just looked stuck in the mud at times, especially compared to how they played in the first two games. Haliburton acknowledged it: “I think offensively, the ball probably got a little too stagnant… And granted, we didn’t make shots — it’s a make-or-miss league. We shot 20% from… yeah, we got to shoot better. We’ll shoot better. That’s not us.”

But even with the bad shooting, he circled back to his role, “You got to find ways to win. And we just couldn’t do that today.” For a young star to step up and take that much responsibility after such a crushing loss? That says a lot.

The promise keeper? Tyrese Haliburton’s quest for a title

Tyrese Haliburton owning the Game 3 offensive struggles like that? It stings for Pacers fans to hear, sure, but it also tells you everything about the kind of player and leader he’s becoming. Back in April, before the postseason tipped off, Haliburton was crystal clear about the team’s mindset:

“This year I think we have real expectations to do something special as a group and when I say something special, I mean a championship. That’s definitely an expectation we’ve had since the start of the year. That doesn’t change.” And when you put that kind of expectation out there, every win, every loss, every late-game decision carries a different kind of weight.

You can see that championship drive in how he’s evolved. He’s not just the flashy passer anymore, though his playmaking is still ridiculously good. Remember that “most overrated player” poll that came out? Haliburton seemed to take that personally, and he’s been silencing critics with some seriously clutch play in these playoffs. Stephen A. Smith, who can be tough on guys, even had to give Haliburton his props for how “money” he’s been in crunch time.

LeBron James, who knows a thing or two about winning, also publicly backed Haliburton, praising his winning mentality and unselfish style – a style Haliburton himself has said is about taking care of his teammates, like the “mom of the team,” a lesson from his AAU coach. That leadership isn’t just about hitting game-winners, though. It’s about what he did after Game 3: stepping up, taking the blame, and vowing to be better. That’s what you want from your star player when you’re chasing a ring.

That Game 3 loss was a gut punch, no doubt, and that Indy 500 record is a weird bit of frustrating trivia. But with Haliburton driven by that championship promise, you get the feeling the Pacers aren’t just going to roll over. He’s trying to live up to those big words he spoke before the playoffs, and that journey, even with tough losses like this, is what makes watching him so compelling.