Getty Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton shared some thoughts after a tough game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks dropped yet another close game, falling to the Indiana Pacers, 124-122 on February 28. Tuesday’s loss brought Dallas’ record, when both Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic play, to just 1-4.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton poured in 32 points and dished 6 assists to help his squad take down the Mavs.
After the game, he spoke to the media at his locker, explaining the two teams’ contrasting styles.
“We know that they’re a team that likes to play slower and we like to play faster,” Haliburton told reporters. “So, it was an interesting battle of pace and different ways of attacking. I thought it was a good battle overall. We had a couple times where we felt like we could’ve ran away with the game. They battled back, they’re a good team. They attacked us, we attacked them, it was a really good game.”
He was later asked if the game had a bigger feel to it because of Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle’s historic tenure in Dallas.
“Yeah I mean, obviously for him, how can it just be another game for him coming back to Dallas? Haliburton questioned. “That’s anybody in the NBA. When you go back to where you’ve been it’s a bigger game for you. Obviously, coach Carlisle has a lot of history here, being a champion here and things like that.”
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Haliburton’s coach certainly left a legacy in Dallas. Back in 2011 he led the Mavs to an NBA championship, beating the LeBron James-led Miami Heat.
Prior to Tuesday’s matchup, Carlisle spoke the media. He dished out some serious praise for Dallas’ new star duo of Irving and Doncic.
“Nobody’s going to want to play these guys. Nobody,” he told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon before tip.
Rick Carlisle on the Luka Doncic/Kyrie Irving combo: “Nobody’s going to want to play these guys. Nobody.”
Dallas landed Irving in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets back on February 5. In order to bring in the star guard, the Mavs sent Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick, and multiple seconds to the Nets.
Since being traded to Dallas, Irving has appeared in seven games for the Mavs. He’s played an average of 36.9 minutes each time, tallying 24.7 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game.
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Again, Dallas’ loss to Indiana was a close one. It came down to the wire, with the Mavs having the ball and a chance to win the game as the seconds ticked down.
The final play saw Irving work to break down the Pacers’ defense, before taking a step-back 3-pointer to try and win the game.
Uncle Drew’s co-star, Doncic, discussed the final possession with reporters after the loss.
“It was a good shot, I think,” he said. “It’s Kyrie. He can make a lot of those shots. So, we trust him.”
Doncic went on to try and take the emphasis off of Irving’s miss and place it on the team as a whole.
“I think we should be talking about the whole team, you know, because we play as a team,” he said. “We lose, we win as a team. So, it’s not just about two players, it’s about [the] whole team. So, we got to do better as a team. That’s it.”