Tyrese Haliburton Reveals Pacers Fired Up All Summer by Critics!

This past NBA season, the Indiana Pacers emerged as a strong contender by reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since the 2013-14 season. However, many NBA enthusiasts and experts perceived their performance as a stroke of luck rather than skill, especially after they were defeated in a clean sweep by the Boston Celtics, who went on to win the championship.

Contrary to these views, the Pacers proved their mettle by advancing from the Eastern Conference finals and securing a victory in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, thanks in large part to Tyrese Haliburton’s crucial plays towards the end of the game.

Reflecting on the team’s journey and echoing a sentiment famously expressed by Michael Jordan, Haliburton highlighted in his postgame remarks how personal the journey felt for the team, fueled by the skepticism they faced.

“We do a great job of taking things personal, and that gives this group more confidence.”

Tyrese Haliburton says Pacers spent last Summer “pissed off” and explains how they stay motivated in the face of doubt. pic.twitter.com/S7Kt4XSuJb

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 6, 2025

“…After you have a run like last year and you get swept in the Eastern Conference finals,” Haliburton said after the game. “And all the conversation is about how you don’t belong there and how you lucked out to get there. And that it was a fluke. Guys are gonna be pissed off. We’re gonna spend the summer pissed off.”

“And then you come into the year with all the talk around how it was a fluke. You have an unsuccessful first couple months and now that’s easy for everybody to clown you and talk about you in a negative way. And I think as a group, we take everything personal. As a group, it’s not just me, it’s everybody. I feel like that’s the DNA of this group.”

Indiana started the season with a disappointing 10-15 record and suffered numerous injuries, casting doubt on their championship capabilities. However, since the start of the new year, they have boasted the NBA’s second-best win rate, trailing only the Thunder. Haliburton, who was labeled as the NBA’s most overrated player in an annual poll by The Athletic earlier in April, has responded strongly with his playoff performances.

Haliburton also praised the entire Pacers team, including the coaching staff, for embracing these underdog narratives as a source of motivation.

“Our coaching staff does a great job of making us aware of what’s being said,” Haliburton continued. “Us as players, we talk about it in the locker room, we talk about it on the plane. We’re a young team so we probably spend more time on social media than we should. But I think we just do a good job of taking things personal.”

“And that gives this group more confidence.”

Haliburton went on to add that the Pacers enjoy playing the “underdog” role against the Thunder, who won 68 regular season games. But he made sure to note that there is “still a lot of work to be done.”

That work will continue in Game 2 on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET.

More NBA Finals on Sports Illustrated