Tyrese Haliburton has had enough of the noise. And after a decisive win over the Indiana Pacers during the 2025 NBA Finals Game 3, he made sure everyone knew it. The All-Star guard didn’t just help lift Indiana to a crucial 116–107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder – he also fired back at sports analysts and commentators who questioned his scoring impact throughout the series.
As the Pacers push just two wins away from their first-ever NBA championship, Haliburton is rewriting the narrative—and silencing critics in the process.
Tyrese Haliburton Calls Out Analysts After Leading Pacers in Game 3
After Indiana’s 116–107 win, the Pacers’ point guard used his postgame media session to push back against critics questioning his scoring output.
A reporter asked, “Tyrese, you impact the game a lot of different ways, not just scoring obviously, but when you don’t score, there is sometimes some chatter. How cognizant were you of that chatter the last couple of days?”.
Haliburton didn’t hold back, responding, “I think the commentary is always going to be what it is. Most of the time, the talking heads on the major platforms. I couldn’t care less, honestly. Like what do they really know about basketball?”
Tyrese Haliburton:
“Most of the time, the talking heads on the major platforms, I couldn’t care less, honestly. Like, what do they really know about basketball? The commentary is what it is at this point. We’re in the NBA Finals, two wins away from an NBA championship” pic.twitter.com/SXeLrN94qp
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 12, 2025
‘The Moment’, nicknamed so by ESPN’s Richard Jefferson, has been in the spotlight ever since the Pacers reached the playoffs. No doubt, he was incredible throughout the earlier rounds, but his performance started to become inconsistent once the team entered the Finals. In Game 1, he was solid but not spectacular—until his last-second game-winning shot shifted the narrative entirely.
However, his underwhelming showing in Game 2 didn’t go unnoticed. As the shooting guard struggled to find his rhythm against the Thunder’s defense, some called for him to be more aggressive. However, his performance picked up again in Game 3.
Haliburton acknowledged that while he’s not deeply engaged with social media during the playoffs, it’s hard to avoid outside voices completely. “You know, ESPN might be on in my house and there it is. It is what it is. But I think just seeing where I can be better is the most important thing.”
The 25-year-old point guard was great in Game 3. He nearly had a triple-double, with 22 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds. Haliburton made 9 of 17 shots from the field and 4 of 8 shots from deep. It was a significant improvement from his silent Game 2.
The Pacers are currently up in the series 2–1 because of his great night. They need to win two more games to capture their first NBA title. While Haliburton leads the way, they have the momentum on their side.
