A day after shattering Jayson Tatum and his men’s dreams, the Indiana Pacers continued their magic on Thursday as well. Tyrese Haliburton & Co. took on the mighty Milwaukee Bucks in the first semi-final of the inaugural In-season Tournament. As a shocker to the NBA world, the Indy side kicked out the Bucks and the franchise superstar Haliburton sent out a message ahead of the Finals.

Stepping into the 2023-24 season, the Pacers were nowhere in the picture of the championship conversation. Even though Haliburton had a good reputation, with his upcoming $260 million contract, the NBA world hardly included Indy in the debate. However, two months into the season, this team is already dictating the terms. 

Tyrese Haliburton speaks loud and clear

Tyrese Haliburton had one of the greatest starts of the season, which even catapulted him to the MVP conversation. In the same spirit, he led the team in the first semi-final, just like every other game in this season. He dropped 27 points with 7 rebounds and 15 assists, helping the team have a comfortable 119-128 victory over the Bucks. 

In the grand performance, one particular moment stood out from the lot. The Dame Time moment. With less than a minute left on the clock, Haliburton dropped a three-pointer over the Bucks’ Brook Lopez, taking the 8-point lead. After scoring the bucket, he turned back and impersonated Damian Lillard’s iconic celebration.

In an interview after the match, Tyrese was asked about his uncanny Dame Time celebration at the audience. The 23-year-old star was already locked in to send a message ahead of the Finals. He said, “We’re not supposed to be here … we keep shocking the world.”

The rising superstar amped up the underdog touch to his team ahead of the inaugural Finals in Las Vegas. While Haliburton had a starry night at Vegas on his road to the Finals, he had an emotional game facing the Boston Celtics in the quarter-finals.

Haliburton’s emotional quarter-final game

The 23-year-old not only helped his team qualify for the semi-finals but also dropped his first-ever triple-double in his career. Following the game, the youngster’s parents stepped onto the court and gave him a warm hug. Moreover, he considered that game as the most important game of his career.

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He also expressed his mood after the game, “Atmosphere was crazy, fans were amazing, I love this.” What do you make of Haliburton’s growth graph in this season? Let us know in the comments below.

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