The first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament recently concluded with the Los Angeles Lakers being crowned with the NBA Cup.
Considering the Lakers finished the tournament with a perfect 7-0 record, they undoubtedly deserved to win the cup.
However, their opponent, the Indiana Pacers, were not an easy team to defeat.
Following the loss, Tyrese Haliburton shared his honest thoughts on the team’s performance in the tournament via ClutchPoints on Twitter.
“We’ve done some great things to get here, competed against some really good teams, and battled… You can’t let that happen for no reason,” Haliburton said.
"We've done some great things to get here, competed against some really good teams, and battled… You can't let that happen for no reason."
Tyrese Haliburton after the Pacers In-Season Tournament Finals loss against the Lakers.
(via @Pacers) pic.twitter.com/IV70oeCIba
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 10, 2023
Haliburton believes the Pacers played at an elite level to reach the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament finals.
Sure, the team suffered a 109-123 defeat at the hands of the Lakers, but the effort didn’t go to waste.
For starters, it puts the Pacers on the map to become a legitimate contender in the East.
While there are other teams in the Eastern Conference that are better than the Pacers, the organization may be just a piece or two away from competing for a championship.
Moreover, they still need their star Tyrese Haliburton to play his natural game on the biggest stage.
Haliburton wasn’t at his best against the Lakers as he finished with 20 points, 1 rebound, and 11 assists, including an abysmal 2-of-8 shooting from the three-point line.
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