Despite the Indiana Pacers’ disappointing 111-94 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden, Tyrese Haliburton remains confident about his team’s prospects. With the Pacers now trailing 3-2 in the series, Haliburton emphasized resilience and a commitment to bounce back in Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Haliburton Reflects on Pacers’ Struggles in Game 5

Haliburton described the Pacers’ effort as unusually flat during their worst performance of the series, noting that Indiana never held a lead throughout the game and was held under 100 points for the first time in these playoffs. The team’s offense failed to find rhythm early, scoring only 45 points in the first half. Haliburton himself had an off night, tallying just eight points—the lowest he has scored this postseason—on 2-for-7 shooting from the floor.

“Rough night for me. I’ve got to be better setting the tone, getting downhill. I didn’t do a great job with that,”

Haliburton said.

I think our pace has to be better, and that starts with me. I’ve got to be better there.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle agreed with Haliburton’s self-assessment, pointing out that Indiana lacked urgency and intensity from the start of the game. Carlisle criticized the team’s overall attitude, attributing the poor performance to a lack of the necessary forceful approach.

“We obviously didn’t play with the level of force that we needed to,”

Carlisle said.

“To start the game, we didn’t have the right level of force, the right level of attitude in this environment. It was a bad start; we never had a lead in the game. There was a multitude of things that were going wrong.”

Confidence in the Team’s Resilience After Setback

Despite the setback, Haliburton remains optimistic based on Indiana’s track record of rebounding after losses during the playoffs. The Pacers have avoided losing back-to-back games in the postseason and have averaged about 129.3 points per game following defeats this year.

“We’re a resilient group,” Haliburton said. We always want to respond when things don’t go well. We understand what the stakes are, but we’re fine. There’s no need to panic or anything.

“There’s definitely room to improve, and the great thing about our group and our staff is addicted to figuring out where we can get better.”

Looking Ahead to Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

With Game 6 scheduled for Saturday back in Indiana, Haliburton expressed strong belief in his team’s ability to leverage home-court advantage and turn the series around. He praised both his own confidence and the support of Pacers fans anticipating a rebound performance.

“I have the utmost confidence in myself and our group to play to our ability in Game 6,”

Haliburton said.

“We get another game to go back at home and attack these guys and get better. I look forward to Game 6, and we’ll be prepared.”

This upcoming home contest is critical for the Pacers, as a win would even the series at 3-3 and set up a decisive Game 7. Haliburton’s poised leadership and the team’s collective determination could play key roles as Indiana looks to maintain its bid for the NBA Finals.