The painful memory fueling Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers

The 2023/24 NBA season was one of real growth for the Indiana Pacers, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

They saw off the Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a decade. But their running came crashing to a halt when they met the Boston Celtics, suffering a humiliating 4-0 defeat to the eventual champions.

Reflecting on that loss now, Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is still unhappy with how those games were used to discredit the team’s previous performances.

“After you have a run like last year and you get swept in the Eastern Conference finals, 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 going to be pissed off,” Haliburton said earlier this week.

“You have an unsuccessful first couple months and now it’s easy for everyone to clown you and talk about you in a negative way. I think as a group we take everything personal. … It’s not just me. It’s everybody. I feel like that’s the DNA of this group, and that’s not just me. … We do a great job of taking things personal, and that gives this group more confidence."

Memories of last year’s failure seem to be having a positive effect on an Indiana team that has proved incredible resilient this time around. Haliburton, in particular has provided countless clutch moments on the run to the NBA Finals.

His last-second game winner in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder has given the Pacers a precious road win to start the series. But speaking ahead of Game 2, Haliburton insisted that the team’s true strength is their belief in each other on the court.

He said: “I’m really proud of this group. We’ve just all got each other’s back at every point. Any negative thing that’s said about anybody, we’ve got full belief in each other. So the more that’s talked about, like right now, we’re whatever underdog that gives us more confidence as a group. We enjoy that.”

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