Tyrese Haliburton had the last laugh in Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, both on the scoreboard and in the war of words. After hitting a game-winning three-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining to give the Indiana Pacers a 120-119 comeback win and a commanding 2-0 lead in the series, Haliburton addressed the unexpected chants that rang out from Cavaliers fans throughout the night: Overrated.
“I mean, sure, yeah, that one was unexpected. I didn’t know we had beef, but yeah, I guess that, I mean, good for them, man.”
“That came out of nowhere, but it’s just. I think now that label’s there, as it’s gonna be every time we play somebody, every time on the road, they’ll probably follow me until the next poll comes out.”
“And then we’ll see if I’m number one again. But for me, I just control what I can. And yeah, I mean, overrate that.”
Rather than fire back with insults or confrontation, Haliburton delivered the ultimate response with his play. Despite battling through a wrist injury sustained earlier in the game, the Pacers’ star took over in the clutch.
After missing a crucial free throw in the final seconds, Haliburton grabbed the rebound, retreated beyond the arc, and drilled the go-ahead three over Ty Jerome. The shot stunned the Cleveland crowd into silence and made their “overrated” chants age poorly in real time.
Haliburton knew the narrative wouldn’t disappear overnight.
The Cavaliers, who held a 20-point lead midway through the third quarter, collapsed down the stretch. Despite Donovan Mitchell’s 48-point explosion, Cleveland crumbled under Indiana’s relentless pressure, culminating in an 8-0 Pacers run in the final 47 seconds. Haliburton only finished with 19 points, but it was the way he ended the game that left the deepest mark.
The chant itself stemmed from an anonymous NBA player poll that recently labeled Haliburton the most overrated player in the league. The Cavs fans ran with it, but in doing so, they unwittingly fueled a star who thrives under pressure.
Tuesday night was another chapter in Haliburton’s rapid ascension. He’s no longer the overlooked kid from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He’s now the engine of a team threatening to crash the Eastern Conference hierarchy.
With Indiana up 2-0 and heading home, Cleveland’s window for redemption is rapidly shrinking. Injuries to key players like Garland and Mobley have left the Cavaliers vulnerable, and Haliburton is capitalizing.
If there was ever a moment to silence doubters and reshape perception, this was it. The game-winner. The crowd was silenced. The subtle but sharp words after. Haliburton didn’t just bury a three-pointer; he buried the narrative.
“Overrated”?
That chant may follow him for now. But so will the footage of him draining a dagger and walking off the floor with the scoreboard reading 2-0 Pacers.
