Tyrese Haliburton hit the biggest shot in recent Indiana Pacers history. He capped what proved to be a wild fourth-quarter comeback by knocking down a two-pointer at the buzzer. The problem, though, is that Haliburton thought his shot was a game-winning three-pointer. He celebrated as if he had won the game and even went as far as to mimic Reggie Miller's iconic "choke" celebration against the New York Knicks.
It felt as if Haliburton's celebration was premature, given that his foot, indeed, was on the line and there were going to be five more minutes on the clock. The Knicks even took an early four-point lead in overtime.
The Pacers stormed back, though, and found a way to win, taking a 1-0 lead in what will almost certainly be an outstanding best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference Finals. Perhaps the best part of this game, though, was Haliburton saying that the choke celebration will be back.
“Everybody has been wanting me to do it. I wanted to hold it for the right time. It felt appropriate, and then it went to overtime so...We’ll have to save it for later,” Haliburton said postgame.
Tyrese Haliburton promises to put choke celly to better use later in Knicks series
Haliburton almost executed it perfectly. Had his toe been an inch back, it would've been perfect. He would've won the game at the buzzer at Madison Square Garden when just a couple of minutes prior, the Pacers looked completely dead.
While it didn't prove to be the right time for the celebration, it's not as if the Pacers lost the game. The Pacers had five minutes to back up Haliburton's celebration, and they did just that. If they had lost the game, it would've been extremely embarrassing, but they didn't. Now, Pacers fans can revel in the moment.
I mean, is this image not what every Pacers fan had dreamt of since Miller busted that celebration out against these Knicks for the first time? It's poetic, especially in hindsight now that they won. But as Haliburton eluded to, it could've been better used.
The fact that more of this celebration will be coming, per Haliburton, has to get Pacers fans fired up. It's up to Haliburton to live up to his own promise, now. The Pacers are in the driver's seat, having taken the early series lead and claimed home court advantage in the process. Hopefully, he can deliver.