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The Indiana Pacers are off to a promising start this season, largely because star point guard Tyrese Haliburton has returned to the lineup after missing the entire previous campaign due to injury. The team holds a 2-1 record, including a recent victory over the Brooklyn Nets, and Haliburton delivered a highlight-reel moment by throwing a bounce pass off the backboard to himself for a dunk in transition.
The play occurred while the Pacers were wearing retro ABA jerseys, and Haliburton admitted that the uniforms played a role in his decision to attempt the self-lob. "Sometimes you just got to commit to the bit, you know what I'm saying," he said. "I didn't really think I was gonna do it. You can't think about it 'cause otherwise you'll mess it up. So I just committed fully. I think it was the ABA jerseys, I felt like Dr. J or something."
In characteristic fashion, Haliburton humorously retracted his comparison to Julius Erving, telling the reporter not to quote him on the remark. The dunk highlighted a stellar individual performance, as Haliburton finished with a game-high 24 points in 31 minutes, along with four rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals. He shot 8-of-13 from the field, 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Key Analysis
Through the Pacers' first two games, Haliburton is averaging 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocked shots, with shooting splits of 50 percent from the field, 20 percent from three-point range, and 100 percent from the free-throw line. His return has given Indiana a dynamic playmaker and a reason for optimism, while his playful personality continues to shine in postgame interviews.
Originally reported by yahoo.