Indiana Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton will play in tonight’s in-season tournament quarterfinal against the Boston Celtics. The 23-year-old missed the last game due to an upper respiratory infection, and his status for tonight’s game was questionable in the previous injury report. His availability is a big boost for Indiana, as Haliburton has taken a giant leap from last season and has been the best player for the Pacers.

The 23-year-old’s incredible performance has even garnered a lot of respect from his opponents. Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown showered massive praise on Haliburton before going head-to-head against him.

Jaylen Brown praises Tyrese Haliburton

Tyrese Haliburton has elevated his game to another level this season. He is averaging 27 points, almost 7 points higher than his last season’s average of 20.7. Haliburton has also proved that he is one of the best playmakers in the NBA, as he is currently leading the league in assists with 11.8 per game. Impressed with Haliburton’s breakout performance, Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown had this to say about the 23-year-old ahead of tonight’s game, “Tyrese is so good, man. IQ is so high. Definitely got those guys feeling good about themselves, playing the game the right way. Tyrese is definitely one of the young stars in our league.”

Tyrese made his first all-star team last season, and his numbers have improved significantly each year. Indiana realized that they have a superstar in their grasp, and they locked him in for the next 5-years by offering him a $260 million max contract extension this summer. Haliburton has proven that he is worth every penny of his max contract and more with his incredible performance this year.

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Can Tyrese Haliburton lead the Pacers to win the in-season tournament?

It has been almost a week since Tyrese Haliburton claimed he was “tired of being a loser”. His comments came after a devastating loss against the Miami Heat despite Haliburton going off for 44 points and 10 assists. Even though Tyrese has had a career filled with individual accolades, he has not made the playoffs even once. The 23-year-old’s primary goal is to lead his team to the playoffs by finding ways to win in the regular season. Eliminating Boston from the in-season tournament tonight will be a great momentum builder for Haliburton and Co.

Tyrese helped Indiana top their group by winning all four of their group stage games. And he hopes to continue that momentum by beating Jayson Tatum and Co. tonight. Indiana has not made the playoffs in three years, and lifting the inaugural NBA Cup will do wonders for their confidence.

Indiana is currently 6th in the East with a 10-8 record. Do you think Tyrese Haliburton can finally lead the Pacers to the playoffs?

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