NBA FINALS: THUNDER VS. PACERS

June 13, 2025

Tyrese Haliburton

Indiana Pacers

Game 4: Postgame

Oklahoma City Thunder 111, Indiana Pacers 104

Q. Tyrese, the fourth quarter, only one assist, 20 assists through the first three quarters. Why did it get so stagnant late and what did they do differently?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: I have to do a better job of keeping pace in the game. Probably did a much better job of that last game, especially down the stretch, keeping pace, getting rebounds and really pushing it.

I think we have to do a better job of when we do get stops getting out running. A lot of times in that fourth we were fouling too much, taking the ball out, trying to run something, versus just random basketball.

I've got to do a better job there. Watch film, see where I can get better. But yeah, that's on me. I've got to get us playing faster down the stretch. I'll be better Game 5.

Q. Up four with three minutes to go in the Finals, give that one away. How do you feel right now? How does that one sit with you?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: It's frustrating, of course. You want to win that game, especially a game at home where, like you said, you have the lead late. But that's just not how the cookie crumbled today.

So take a shower, watch film and see where we can get better and get ready to go for Game 5. I feel like myself personally I can be a lot better for us as a group. We've just got to get more stops down the stretch.

17-point fourth quarter, after the offensive success we had all game I think really shows we have to do a better job moving the ball. I think that starts with me.

Yeah we've got to be ready to go Game 5, going into a hostile environment. We have to be ready to play. For us to win, we're going to have to win one down there. We've got to be ready to go. We've got a couple days to sit on this, watch film and see where we can get better. I'm excited about the challenge.

Q. The first three quarters, you guys, what did you like about the defensive effort that you guys had, especially on Shai? I think he didn't have an assist in the game, and then what do you think also allowed him to get loose late in the fourth quarter?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: Yeah, I thought we did a great job of mixing things up. Drew obviously did a great job, Shep in his minutes, Double A. I think we were trying to make it as tough as we can on him. We have to do a better job not fouling. That's where a lot of our mistakes came. But I thought we did a good job. He still ended with 35; he's a tough cover.

We have to collectively keep making it hard on him, keep rebounding and running.

Q. Rick has been saying since the start of the series that it's an 18-day thing, almost like he's planting the seed that this is going to go for a while. How important is that mindset now that you know it's going to go at least six?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: I think as a team you have to be ready to respond. Every game is different. You've just got to be able to respond when your back is against the wall, and that's where we are right now.

Obviously that's a frustrating loss, but as a group, I still have a lot of confidence in ourselves as a group. We've got to be ready to go down there and fight for 48 minutes. It's going to be a challenge, but this group has been resilient all year. I wouldn't want to go to war with any other group. I'm really excited about Game 5.

Q. You obviously talked about what you feel like you could have done better in the fourth quarter, but what did you see them make a point to take away?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: I thought they went more to the small -- the four-guard lineup. That got us stagnant there.

But I still think there's a lot of areas for us to get better. I feel like we got some good looks, just missed some good looks. Again, watch film, see where we can get better and guys will be ready to respond in a couple days.

Q. In the second quarter, when you got that and-one, you celebrated after making that free throw. How much of that was a frustration of not getting calls or just getting that call for the free throw?

TYRESE HALIBURTON: Yeah, I think we're just -- through the course of the game, we have to continue to play and get downhill. I think the paint is our friend. When we're really getting in the paint, everything kind of opens up.

Obviously I haven't -- that was my first free throw of the series. So just was excited about that.

I think as a group, we've got to keep getting downhill. The paint is our friend. We can play from the inside-out, the better we are.

Like I said, watch the film, see where we can get better and be ready to go in a couple days.