Tyrese Haliburton stated that there is “no need to panic” during the sixth game between the Knicks and the Pacers. However, did New York resolve the situation?

INDIANAPOLIS— Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers are currently experiencing the Knicks’ praise with the fervor of imitation, which is the most genuine form of flattery. (He would likely appreciate a thoughtful note, an Edible Arrangement, or some other form of expression.)

In the fifth game of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals, New York emulated Indiana’s approach by applying defensive pressure to the All-NBA ball-handler in the backcourt of their opponent, rather than allowing him to unimpededly advance the ball and initiate the Pacers’ offense.

The tactical adjustment made by Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau did not surprise Haliburton, who has encountered an abundance of 94-foot defensive affection from opposing defenses during his ascent to stardom in Indiana. This is particularly true given the high stakes of the game, as both teams are competing for a spot in the 2025 NBA Finals.

“I mean, we are currently leading 3-1.” The Knicks’ 111-94 victory in Game 5 extended the series, necessitating a Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday night, as Haliburton stated, “Their season is on the line.” “Consequently, we comprehend that they will exert themselves, elevate their intensity, and implement any necessary measures to secure victory.” That was accomplished exceptionally well, and it is now incumbent upon us to respond in Game 6.

The Pacers’ response, and in particular Haliburton’s, will likely determine whether Indiana secures its first NBA Finals berth since 2000 or finds itself once again boarding a plane to New York to confront Game 7 at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

The yin and yang of Haliburton’s game were exemplified in Games 4 and 5. He is all-consuming, overwhelming, and immaculate on a single night, infusing every Pacer possession with efficiency and electricity. He introduces energy into the game by generating massive waves and subsequently riding them as they collide with a defenseless opponent. In the subsequent game, Haliburton may be swept away by the tide due to the unerring purity of his offensive approach. “You know, he’s a point guard by nature,” head coach Rick Carlisle stated prior to Game 3, “a classic point guard by nature, a guy running a team.”

Haliburton, who finished with only eight points (his second-lowest total of the postseason and his 13th single-digit game of the season), admitted that it was a difficult night. He attempted only seven field goals, which was only the fifth time in the entire season that he had taken so few. “I must improve my tone, as it is deteriorating.” I am under the impression that I did not perform well in that regard.

Haliburton’s self-assessment is corroborated by the data. He averaged nearly 11 drives to the basket per game during the regular season, over 11 per game during the first two rounds of the playoffs, and 13 per game during the first four games against New York. However, in Game 5, he only logged nine, resulting in only two baskets, one drawn foul, and zero assists.

Thibodeau stated following the game, “At times, it was likely a combination of him missing shots that he typically makes.” “However, I was under the impression that our team was united in their efforts to compel him to work for everything.” That is the action that must be taken. We must engage in a battle to secure each possession.

Mikal Bridges deserves a significant portion of the credit for Haliburton’s more subdued performance. The Knicks swingman delivered his most impressive defensive performance of the series by employing a fight-to-win-every-possession approach. He utilized his length and seemingly limitless gas tank to shadow Haliburton across the entire court with a greater sense of physicality, intention, and presence than he had demonstrated in the first four games.

Josh Hart, the forward for the New York Knicks, stated, “Mikal performed exceptionally well.” “We are making a significant request of ‘Kal.” He is transporting him and engaging in physical activity, including sprinting. Tyrese is an individual who is perpetually on the move. He will bring the ball down, hit it, run off of it, retrieve the ball, send it back to the big, and then return to the field. Kal performed exceptionally well today by endeavoring to be physically active, to focus on his body, and to avoid providing him with any simple opportunities.

Combine this with improved communication behind the play by New York’s help defenders, more attentive positioning by big men Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns, loading into the gaps to stop the ball and prevent Haliburton from consistently touching the paint, and you have a recipe for throwing a little sand in the gears of what has largely been a smoothly humming Pacers offensive machine:

At the team’s Saturday shootaround in anticipation of Game 6, Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson stated, “It’s a contagious feeling.” “When you witness an incident of this nature and witness one of your teammates resuming play with the same intensity as he is, it is contagious.”

“It is evident that Tyrese is an exceptional player, and we must devise strategies to slow him down. Therefore, when we observe Mikal engaging in such behavior or anyone picking him up in full court, we are aware that we must exert ourselves on each and every possession.”

The Knicks’ developing comprehension of the logic behind the Pacers’ specific system was a contributing factor to Haliburton’s difficulties.

Upon observing Bridges pick him up full-court, Haliburton executed the next logical step in his classic, natural, and pure point guard mind: leaving the ball early and attempting to capitalize on Bridges’ one-on-one face-guarding coverage by exiting the play, thereby creating an opportunity for his teammates to attack 4-on-4.

Andrew Nembhard, Haliburton’s backcourt partner, is completing nearly nine possessions per game in this postseason as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, according to Synergy Sports. This is a strategy that the Pacers have implemented in the past few seasons when teams have attempted to penetrate Haliburton’s kitchen, including in Round 2 against the Cavaliers. Indiana is acutely aware of how to exploit and attack this.

Or at the very least, that is the case for the majority of the time. Pulling the appropriate mechanisms may prove to be somewhat challenging in this particular matchup and at this particular juncture.

Observe that the Knicks altered their starting lineup three games ago, reassigning Hart, who was Nembhard’s primary defender in Games 1 and 2, to the bench and Robinson to the first five. That decision caused significant disruptions: Towns dropped to power forward and moved over to defend opposing 4 Pascal Siakam, as Robinson replaced him against Pacers center Myles Turner. This, in turn, shifted Siakam’s man, OG Anunoby, to Nembhard.

Nembhard averaged 13.5 points and three assists per game in Games 1 and 2, utilizing a 61.1% shooting percentage. When did the transition occur? He averages only six points per game on a 5-for-26 shooting percentage (19.2%) and 2.3 assists per game. It has been discovered that it may be more difficult to execute an offensive play through your secondary ball-handler when he is defended by a 6-foot-7, 235-pound All-Defensive Team-caliber stopper. This is particularly true for a player who is at ease switching onto Turner if you wish to execute a 2-5 pick-and-roll. Additionally, his multipositional versatility renders him an ideal candidate to scram-switch any teammate, including the frequently targeted Brunson, out of a potentially damaging matchup that has arisen as a result of the 4-on-4 realignment.

Bridges’ duress and Haliburton’s response to alleviate it reduced the efficacy of Plan A, while Anunoby-on-Nembhard effectively scuttled Plan B. Consequently, the Pacers were compelled to attempt to accumulate points in other areas. Occasionally, they were successful: a Siakam turnaround fadeaway over Towns, a T.J. McConnell pull-up three, a difficult driving runner by Turner, and Bennedict Mathurin creating in isolation on his way to a team-high 23 points.

Nevertheless, one must accept a compromise, and the Knicks would prefer to endure the act of Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker attempting to establish a one-on-one match than Haliburton manipulating the chessboard. The Pacers’ worst displays of the postseason include a 40.5% shooting percentage for the best-shooting team in the playoffs and a mere 20 assists against 20 turnovers when everyone else is compelled to create plays.

It is evident that Carlisle does not desire that particular game scenario. What is the obstacle that lies ahead of Game 6? Composing an additional one.

One that can identify novel vulnerabilities in the Knicks’ revised strategy and potentially reestablish Nembhard’s auxiliary role in spite of the Anunoby matchup. One that can restore Siakam to the game-changing force he was in Game 2 (15 points on 5-for-13 shots in Game 5) and, ideally, return the Pacers to Plan A: Haliburton orchestrating the symphony.

After Game 5, Carlisle stated, “We must be aggressive as a team and maintain a sense of equilibrium.” “I will examine it.” I will assume responsibility for the additional tasks that must be completed to assist him, and we will assess the areas in which we can improve.

The Knicks will need to be prepared for the aforementioned enhancements, which include modifications in tempo, angle of attack, and, perhaps most significantly, overwhelming physical force. You can guarantee that Indiana will once again apply the brakes in Game 6, regardless of the extent to which it relaxed in Game 5, knowing that it had two additional opportunities to win this series. The Knicks are currently in a precarious position; therefore, they must not only replicate their defensive performance, but also intensify it in order to entice the Pacers to join them.

“We are obligated to, you know?” Towns stated, “I mean, we have to,” following the conclusion of Game 5. “There is no longer any room for error.” Every encounter is a do-or-die situation, and our backs are against the wall. So, if we fail to bring that intensity and that execution, our season will be over.

The Knicks’ counterpunch preserved their existence. Haliburton, however, withdrew from Game 5, as he was confident in his team’s capacity to parry and secure its ticket to Oklahoma City.

“We comprehend the stakes and the conversation that will occur within our group following a game of that nature,” Haliburton stated. “However, we are in good health.” We are in good health. There is absolutely no reason to be alarmed […] I believe that the most remarkable aspect of this group and our staff is that everyone is captivated by the study of film and the pursuit of improvement. Coach Carlisle is an expert in that area. I am certain that he will be extensively featured in the film, as I will be, and we will engage in extensive conversation following a game of that nature.