Tyrese Haliburton had a Caitlin Clark comparison coming his way. The Indiana Pacers’ superstar has been in the headlines since leading the team’s charge as they sent the Cleveland Cavaliers packing with a 4-1 series win in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
The mercurial guard’s team-high 31 points and six rebounds and eight assists saw Indy win 114-105 and punch a ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. Haliburton’s playmaking and game acumen didn’t go unnoticed as former NBA champion Isiah Thomas made note.
The Pistons HoFer drew a parallel with WNBA phenom Caitlin Clark when describing Haliburton’s efforts. Speaking on NBA TV’s ‘NBA GameTime,’ Thomas dissected the guard’s Game 5 in depth.
Thomas Compares Pacers Star’s Offensive Game To Clark’s
Isiah Thomas compared Haliburton’s game to how Caitlin Clark would approach the contest. “His intellect for the game is on another level,” Thomas said. “At the start of the game, when he walked in, I said, ‘He’s walking in like Caitlin Clark.’ Right?”
He further added, “Now, real talk, right? The way he played the game tonight, this is a Caitlin Clark-type of game — spreading the floor, right? He knocked down the 3, he kept the pace, and not only did he keep the pace, he controlled the tempo, he got everybody involved… he had the floor spread out, you know, he’s shooting it from way, way, way, way, way, way, way, waaaay out there…”
It’s worth noting that Clark and Haliburton have developed a good bond as they ply their trade for the same city. The Fever superstar has also been a regular for Pacers games last month and has been vocal in her support of the Indiana unit, and has even emerged as a “lucky charm” for the NBA team.
Haliburton Had Previously Congratulated Fever Star For Rookie-Year Success
Earlier, Haliburton had been lavish in his praise of Caitlin Clark after the former Iowa Hawkeyes star exceeded all expectations in her rookie year. The No. 1 pick of the 2024 Draft class led the Fever to the playoffs, while also winning the ‘Rookie of the Year’ honors.
Speaking about the WNBA star when the Pacers were in Paris, Haliburton called Clark an “amazing player” while also shedding light on their friendship.
“She’s become a good friend of mine over the past year and anything that I can do to help, I will, but I don’t think she necessarily needs my help. I mean, she’s amazing. That group is amazing. And to see what they’re doing for women’s basketball as a whole has been cool. And she’s spearheading that.”
All eyes now will be on Clark as the new-look Fever with a new head coach in Stephanie White will look to make a deeper run in the 2025 season. As for Haliburton, only time will tell if he can propel the Pacers to the NBA Finals.
