The Indiana Pacers making waves in the Eastern Conference semifinals, taking a 2-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers, is something very hard to digest for the Cavs fanbase after witnessing a terrifying regular season. In an electrifying Game 2, Tyrese Haliburton led his team to a 120-119 victory with a clutch 3-pointer in the final seconds. The team completed a stunning comeback from a 20-point deficit! And it wouldn’t have been possible with Haliburton. How so? Well, Haliburton’s 19 points, 11 of which came in the intense fourth quarter, were of the essence! But despite his clutch performance, the Pacers’ young guard recently found himself the target of an interesting situation.

So what’s all the buzz about? Haliburton was recently named the most “overrated” player in the league by his peers, according to a poll by The Athletic. It’s a label that would sting most players, but not Haliburton. Instead of shrinking under the weight of the criticism, he used it as fuel. During the game in Cleveland, fans taunted him with chants of “overrated,” but Haliburton calmly hit the game-winning shot with 1.1 seconds left, making them eat their words. But NBA legends are not happy with the tag Pacers star now carries.

When Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce sat down to discuss the playoffs, the conversation inevitably turned to Haliburton’s new label. Garnett, always candid, couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “That’s a crazy award. Why would you even put that out there? Why would you say that? Damn,” Garnett remarked. He even found it absurd that the league players voted for it; he simply questioned, “Yeah, I saw that— by your peers?”, pointing out the absurdity of the whole idea. But as he continued, Garnett shared how veteran players often find motivation in public criticism, even when it comes from unexpected sources.

Garnett himself used to get plenty of tough love from NBA legends like Magic Johnson. Reflecting on this, Garnett explained, “I actually took what him and Charles said, you know, saying similar things—I got to be more aggressive about it or whatever.” Instead of getting offended, he used their comments to motivate himself. “I didn’t think of it like negative, whatever. I just looked at it like, this is his perspective, this is what he’s seeing,” He added. Furthermore, he then even checked the films to see the validity of the criticisms! And when he found them to be true, he decided to work on it. 

So, what does this mean for Haliburton? Well, according to Garnett, it’s clear: “You hear everything, even when you don’t want to.” In the NBA, players are constantly surrounded by media chatter, locker room talk, and public opinions. But rather than let these things discourage him, Haliburton and players like him can use them as opportunities to get better. It’s a mindset that has defined some of the greatest players in the game, and Haliburton looks ready to embrace it fully. Will he be able to get the label off him? Only time will tell, but he’s ready to fight for it.

Tyrese Haliburton fires back online as pressure shifts to Cleveland

Did Cavaliers fans really think a few “overrated” chants would rattle Tyrese Haliburton? If anything, they lit a fire. Just minutes after draining the game-winning three in Game 2, Haliburton jumped on X and dropped his now-iconic response: “Overrate THAT.” Short, sharp, and straight to the point, just like the shot that silenced Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Well, the crowd turning on him left even him surprised. Later, he admitted, “I didn’t know we had beef. But yeah, good for them. That came out of nowhere.” He realized that this new label of his is probably going to follow him around. He can foresee a similar situation propping up in his future games as well. “Every time we’re on the road, it’s probably going to follow me until the next poll comes out. And then we’ll see if I’m number one again,” He stated.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are now on the ropes. Losing both games at home wasn’t in the script. “Tough blow,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We have enough talent in there to go get Game 3.” That might be true, but Haliburton’s confidence is clearly rattling some nerves.

Now, with the series heading to Indiana, the pressure flips. Cleveland is suddenly the one chasing. And Haliburton? He’s enjoying every second of it. “Understanding that I’m trusting these moments, I have all of the confidence in the world to make these shots,” he said. Haliburton now has a chip on his shoulder, and that doesn’t bode well for the Cavaliers. Can the Cavs regroup and turn things around? Or will Haliburton write another bold reply with his game?