The Indiana Pacers were led by Tyrese Haliburton en route to a 121-89 victory over Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks, to even the series 2-2 in the Eastern Conference semi-final round.
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During Game 4, after jumping out to an early 34-11 first quarter lead and blowing out the Knicks, Haliburton was heard saying, "You can't f*** with me... Can't guard me. No, no!"
Then when the game was over, while walking off the court, Brunson responded, "It's a long f****** series."
LEAKED Audio Of Tyrese Haliburton Trash Talking The Knicks👀:
“You can’t f*ck with me… Can’t guard me. No, no!”
Then, Jalen Brunson got into with Pascal Siakam after a shove:
“It’s a long f*cking series” pic.twitter.com/uatk4qZZuf
— LegendZ (@legendz_nba) May 13, 2024
Important to note, after only averaging 14.7 points (42.9% FG; 30.5% 3PT) through his first seven career playoff games, Haliburton has started to heat up, averaging 30 points (55% FG; 46% 3PT) in the last three, despite dealing with back spasms and a right ankle sprain.
Brunson on the other hand, was averaging 34.6 points (45.7% FG; 32.1% 3PT) through his first nine playoff games this season, but in the last two games, he has cooled off, averaging 22 points, while shooting 37.2% from the field and 18% from behind the arc. That being said, Brunson has had to lead the injury-riddled Knicks, despite dealing with his own sore foot, that caused him to leave Game 2 in the first quarter, before coming back to score 24 second-half points, to help the Knicks win.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who also coached Brunson for two seasons, when both were a part of the Dallas Mavericks organization, talked about the Brunson and Haliburton rivalry.
"It's pretty clear that doubters are something they both welcome. And when people doubt them, they dig in harder."
To point out, there is more to the matchup than meets the eye, as Brunson may have some hidden motivation when going against the Pacers point guard. That is to say, both players were teammates on last summer's FIBA World Cup team, yet Haliburton was the one ultimately chosen for the highly coveted Team USA roster spot ahead of the upcoming 2024 Olympics, while Brunson was left off.
Nevertheless, the Knicks superstar will never admit that it bothered him, "I have all the respect in the world for him and the way he plays the game," Brunson said when talking about Haliburton. "He goes out there and plays the right way and does what he needs to do."
This season, both Brunson and Haliburton put up career-high numbers, as 24-year-old Haliburton averaged 20.1 points, 10.9 assists (most in NBA), 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. While 27-year-old, Brunson finished fifth in the MVP voting with 28.7 points, 6.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game.
When comparing the two, Brunson is a score-first shot-creator, who has a calm demeanor and doesn't express much emotion while on the court. Then you have Haliburton, a pass-first playmaking 3-level scorer, who is often seen smiling much more than his rival, and is perceived as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. By all means, both players are in their own way great, thereupon, this may be the start of a long-lasting rivalry between two budding superstars, who are a part of franchises that have seen their fair share of bouts in the postseason before. To highlight, the Pacers and the Knicks faced off six times in the playoffs during a span from 1993-2000, with both teams splitting the series' wins, 3-3.
Now Indiana and New York find themselves all tied up at 2-2, after each won the last two pair of games on their home court; Game 5 will be played in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, May 14 at 8:00 pm ET.
