Tyrese Haliburton Fires Back at Cavs Fans' 'Overrated' Chants During NBA Playoffs
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has garnered a lot of attention over the last two seasons despite being one of the most lowkey stars in the league.
It began when he led his team to the championship game of the NBA's In-Season Tournament against the Los Angeles Lakers and fans around the league thought it was a fluke.
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After the tournament he struggled mightily and it earned him the title of the league's most overrated player.
Even after an Eastern Conference Finals run last year people continued to discredit Haliburton and his team after they beat shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks teams.
An anonymous player poll was released a couple weeks ago and the most common answer for 'Most overrated player' was Indiana's star.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
He clearly took offense to this because after hitting a series-ending game winner on the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs, Haliburton mocked the poll with a tweet full of bravado.
After eliminating Milwaukee, the Pacers secured a date with the Cleveland Cavaliers who had the second-best record in the NBA during the regular season.
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They would take the first game against the Cavs but after they went down by 20 points in game two, the Cleveland crowd felt emboldened.
They began to pelt the All-Star with 'overrated' chants and the decision just might have sealed their team's fate.
Haliburton led a furious comeback and trailing by two with less than five seconds left, he stepped back and drained a three with one second left on the clock and won the game.
The two-time All-Star was one of the most mild mannered players in the association, but the criticism he receives has brought out his competitive fire.
During his post-game press conference he was asked about the chants and responded with a powerful statement, 'Overrate that.'
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It seems that Haliburton is on a mission to prove that he is one of the premiere players in the league.
Carrying a 2-0 lead back home to Indiana, it is a real possibility that the Pacers reach the conference finals in consecutive seasons for the first time in a decade.
Related: Cavs HC Sends Clear Message to Team After Poor Performance vs. Pacers
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