by Tyler Conway
Tyrese Haliburton isn’t taking the Indiana Pacers’ NBA In-Season Tournament loss to the Los Angeles Lakers lightly.
“We’re sick, frustrated. We just got outplayed tonight from the start of the game to the end of the game,” Haliburton told reporters after the 123-109 loss. “We’ve done some great things to get here, competed against some really good teams and battled, and you can’t let that happen for no reason.”If you allow this loss to roll over and we’ve got a four-game road trip coming up here, you’ve got to take care of business and handle it the right way and celebrate the successes of it.”
Haliburton finished with 20 points and 11 assists but shot just 2-of-8 from three-point range as long-distance shots failed the Pacers throughout Saturday’s final. Indiana made just 10 of its 41 threes while the Lakers used their size and strength to overwhelm the Pacers inside.
Anthony Davis finished with 41 points and LeBron James added 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. The Lakers made just two threes but shot 53.4 percent from the field and knocked down 27 free throws as they captured the inaugural IST.
Haliburton was stellar across the three IST elimination games, averaging 26.5 points, 14.0 assists and 8.5 rebounds in wins over the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks before regressing Saturday night.
Still, the fact Indiana could go toe-to-toe with three straight NBA Finals contenders and hold their own bodes well for the young team’s development moving forward.
Odds are that’s little solace to Haliburton or the rest of the Pacers who lost out on the $500,000-per-player grand prize.
Originally posted on bleacherreport.com