Tyrese Haliburton has transformed personal adversity into historic clutch performance, shooting 12-for-14 (86%) on game-tying or go-ahead shots in final two minutes this season. The percentage represents the best single-season mark since tracking began in 1996-97, according to ESPN Research.
Haliburton's remarkable clutch shooting follows a difficult period that began with limited playing time for Team USA during the Olympics. He logged just 26 minutes across the tournament, the fewest on the roster, and did not appear in the semifinal or final games.
The Olympic experience served as what Haliburton called an "ego check," marking the first time in his career he was benched. Despite publicly embracing social media jokes about his lack of playing time, the guard privately struggled with the embarrassment.
Haliburton has long thrived on external criticism as motivation for his performance. His approach to handling detractors has become a defining characteristic of his playing style.
"I love external motivation," Haliburton told ESPN. "Somebody's talking s--- about me, I want to know because I want to respond. I want to go back at them."
Mental Health Struggles and Recovery
The external pressure began affecting Haliburton's on-court performance early in the season. He averaged 17.8 points and 8.5 assists on 45% shooting through the All-Star break, missing the midseason showcase entirely.
For the first time in his career, Haliburton admitted basketball wasn't bringing him joy. He sought help from the Pacers' mental health team and took a trip to Mexico during All-Star weekend to reset mentally.
"Having all those expectations, I didn't handle them the right way," Haliburton said. "I had to just be honest with myself."
The turning point came after the All-Star break. Haliburton averaged 20.6 points and 11.0 assists on 53% shooting over his final 21 regular season games, helping Indiana secure the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Historic Playoff Performance
The Pacers have won three playoff games this postseason despite trailing by seven or more points in the final minute. Only the 2014 Thunder accomplished even one such comeback in the play-by-play era since 1998.
Haliburton joins LeBron James (2018) as the only players to record multiple go-ahead field goals in the final two seconds during a single postseason. His clutch success stems from experience gained since arriving in Indiana via trade in February 2022.
"My group wants me to take those shots," Haliburton said. "Everybody's living and dying with it at that point. That gives me a lot of confidence."
Rick Carlisle credits Haliburton's early struggles in clutch situations for developing his current excellence. From 2021-2023, the guard shot just 10-for-30 in similar late-game scenarios before his recent historic run.