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Par Joël Pütz | Journaliste sportif
Tyrese Haliburton, who had an incredible playoff run, has also been making life difficult for the Thunder since the start of the Finals. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s struggles could well be directly linked to a certain Stephen Curry…
You had to go back to 2000 to find the Pacers last playing in the Finals. At that time, Reggie Miller was still wearing their jersey… Today, with the Hall of Famer now a consultant, it’s Tyrese Haliburton who leads his team against the Thunder. After three games, the Eastern Conference champion is up 2-1 and can take a potentially decisive lead by winning Game 4.
Yet few thought Indiana would have the weapons to fight Oklahoma City. This makes sense, given that MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s team dominated the regular season with the best record in the league (68-14) before beating the Nuggets and then the Timberwolves in the playoffs. But aside from a victory in Game 2, Mark Daigneault’s men have struggled to withstand the unbridled assaults of their opponents.
Stephen Curry, Tyrese Haliburton’s study subject before the Finals
Haliburton in particular is giving them a hard time, averaging nearly 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists since the start of the series. This production is a little below his standards, but the point guard is nonetheless an offensive poison, shooting over 51%, including 39% from three-point range. However, Cris Mannix of Sports Illustrated recently revealed the former Kings player’s secret:
After two games of wrestling with Oklahoma City’s defense, of battling waves of defenders that just kept coming, Tyrese Haliburton cracked open his laptop to study someone familiar with it. Few players in NBA history are as adept at shedding a physical defense as Stephen Curry, the Warriors superstar who has powered Golden State to four championships … and counting.
Early in the week, Haliburton’s trainer, Drew Hanlen, fired off a file of a decade’s worth of Curry’s postseason field goals, a highlight reel of Curry torching defenders from San Antonio to Houston, Cleveland to Boston. A generation of shooters have been inspired by Curry. In his first NBA Finals, perhaps Haliburton could be, too.
“Hali” isn’t the first to lean on the Warriors legend’s work to improve, with Anthony Edwards repeatedly claiming to have followed the Chief’s advice during the Paris Olympics. Given his shooting success since the start of the Finals and his strong performance in Game 3, the Indiana star has what it takes to win his franchise’s first title.
