It was an anxiety-inducing Game 1 on Tuesday, as the Indiana Pacers fell to the Boston Celtics in overtime. At one point in the closing moments, it looked like the Pacers had it in the bag. However, crucial mistakes down the stretch cost Indiana the game. One player who committed late-game errors was Tyrese Haliburton, and a primary reason for this was the peskiness of Celtics guard Jrue Holiday. While ansering questions in the pres conference, Haliburton stated comments that shows how much he respects Holiday's defense.
“He's the best defender in the NBA,” Haliburton said. “He has been for a long time.”
One of Haliburton's lapses occurred with a minute remaining in overtime. As Holiday hounded him, the Pacers star lost control of the ball with his team down by one.
“I was trying to get him as far to the left wing as I could so I could come downhill to my right. I had the spin to set it up and I just dribbled it off my foot,” Haliburton added.
Nonetheless, the 24-year-old believes that he'll bounce back in their next outing.
“It's unfortunate. It's frustrating for sure, but it happens. We make mistakes, we're human. I learned from it and I'll be better in Game 2.”
Overall, Haliburton still put up good numbers. The point guard finished with 25 points and 10 assists. He made six threes, one of which came from far out on the logo before the half.
On the other hand, Holiday also had himself a game, tallying 28 points and eight assists.
