Tyrese Haliburton isn’t just fighting through injury — he’s blocking out distractions too. After leading the Indiana Pacers to a dominant 108-91 Game 6 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the All-Star point guard revealed he’s deleted all social media apps from his phone. His last post? June 6 — right after Game 1. Since then, he’s stayed offline… well, except to catch up on WWE storylines.
“For the next two days, everybody’s gonna be talking about how good we looked,” Haliburton told the media. “That stuff can be poison. We’ve got to do a good job of staying within ourselves in the locker room.” It’s a decision rooted in veteran-like leadership and clear playoff focus. With just one game between the Pacers and an NBA title, Haliburton doesn’t want any narratives clouding their preparation.
And no one could question his commitment. Despite playing on a strained right calf, the 24-year-old exploded in the first half, helping Indiana build an insurmountable lead before exiting after just 23 minutes. He finished with 14 points and one highlight after another — including a steal and no-look dime to Pascal Siakam. It was the perfect bounce-back after limping through Game 5.
Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said Hali passed all tests before Game 6, and the decision was simple: “He’s going to play and that’s it.” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault knew what was coming, calling Haliburton “a great player” who would “play like a great player.”
He did just that.
With Game 7 looming and a title on the line, Haliburton’s media blackout may be just what Indiana needs. This is, as he put it, “the pinnacle of our sport” — and he’s all in.
(This is a building story…)
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