Tyrese Haliburton called the moment “special” after the Indiana Pacers clinched a second straight trip to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 114-105 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
Speaking postgame, Haliburton acknowledged how far the franchise has come in a short time, referencing the team’s past presence in the NBA Draft Lottery and its rapid turnaround.
“This is a special time,” Haliburton said. “Back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. We’re not done, but it’s a special feeling, man.”
Indiana overcame a 19-point deficit in Game 5, led by Haliburton’s 31-point performance—marking the Pacers’ first 30-point scorer of the 2025 postseason.
“We’re different than every other team in the NBA,” Haliburton said. “We don’t just have one guy who scores all the points. The ball is flying, and we got a lot of different guys making plays.”
The 25-year-old emphasized that Indiana’s offensive balance and defensive intensity wore Cleveland down across the series.
“Picking up full court, amping up our pressure, our pace—it’s hard to play at our pace in a one-game series,” he said. “It’s even harder over seven.”
Head coach Rick Carlisle previously highlighted the team’s ability to “wear opponents down,” a sentiment Haliburton echoed while praising the Pacers’ depth and hustle plays.
“Coach has been stressing that for two years now,” Haliburton added. “It’s how can you wear on teams for 48 minutes.”
Haliburton’s night included six three-pointers, five of which came in a second-quarter rally that narrowed the Cavs’ early double-digit lead.
He was also candid about picking up two early fouls that forced him to the bench.
“Suspect first two fouls,” Haliburton said. “But I just tried to be smart when I got back in there. I was trying to be aggressive and let the game come to me.”
Pascal Siakam, who added 21 points in the win, said the Pacers now expect to be in the deep stages of the playoffs—not just celebrate reaching them.
“We feel like we’ve been here before,” Siakam said. “The focus has to shift. We got to be wanting more.”
Siakam stressed that playoff success can’t be taken for granted, sharing perspective from his 2019 championship run with Toronto.
“I just felt like automatically I’m going to be right back,” he said. “You can never take it for granted.”
With the top-seeded Cavaliers eliminated, Indiana awaits the winner of the Boston–New York series.
For Haliburton, the mindset remains clear: “Enjoy this one tonight, but be ready for whoever’s next.”
