WASHINGTON, May 28, (V7N) – Tyrese Haliburton delivered a sensational performance on Tuesday, recording his second career playoff triple-double to lead the Indiana Pacers to a dominant 130-121 victory over the New York Knicks. This pivotal home win gives the Pacers a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals, placing them just one win away from the NBA Finals.

Haliburton put on a show with 32 points, 15 assists, and a career-high 12 rebounds, all without committing a single turnover in 38 minutes of play. This historic stat line makes him the first player in NBA playoff history to achieve 30 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds, and no turnovers.

"I was just trying to be aggressive, trying to respond," Haliburton said, reflecting on the Pacers' game-three home loss where they squandered a 20-point lead. "I felt like I let the team down in game three so it was important to come out here and just make plays. Guys put me in position to make plays and play my game and man, it's a big win for us."

Game five is scheduled for Thursday at New York's Madison Square Garden. "I'm excited about it. It's going to be a lot of fun," Haliburton stated. "It's a tough environment to play in. We've got to be ready. Just one more game, take what we can from this and be ready for game five."

The winner of the Eastern Conference finals will advance to face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Finals, which are set to begin on June 5.

Adding to the sweetness of Haliburton's performance was the presence of his father in the arena, attending his first game after a month-long ban following an on-court incident with Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier in the playoffs. "Hell yeah. I'm glad pop is in the building," Haliburton gleefully remarked. "It makes it that much more sweet. Had a little bit to do with it."

Haliburton's stellar stat line also included four steals, with efficient shooting of 11-of-23 from the field and 5-of-12 from three-point range.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau acknowledged Haliburton's impact, saying, "We tried giving him different looks. We'll look at the film. We just have to do better."

Pascal Siakam contributed significantly for the Pacers with 30 points, while Bennedict Mathurin provided a crucial spark off the bench with 20 points. "We just wanted to come out with more energy, more urgency," Siakam said. "I thought we did that from the beginning. They made runs but we stuck to our game plan." Pacers coach Rick Carlisle lauded Mathurin's performance, calling it "great" and a "huge lift."

For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson led with 31 points. Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 12 rebounds, O.G. Anunoby scored 22 points, and Mikael Bridges netted 17 points. New York's efforts were hampered by 17 turnovers. "Our defense wasn't good enough. Our defense and turnovers probably hurt us," Thibodeau admitted. "The important thing is to reset. We're not playing the series. We're playing the game."

Towns suffered a left knee injury in the fourth quarter but was able to remain in the game. "He was able to go back in. That was a good sign," Thibodeau said, adding that he would be evaluated. Towns, focused on the loss, declined to comment on his knee at the moment.

The Pacers are seeking their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000 and have never won an NBA title. The Knicks, now facing elimination, last reached the NBA Finals in 1999 and last won a championship in 1973. "You've got to give it your all," Brunson urged. "It's that simple."

Indiana established an early lead, finishing the first quarter up 43-35, fueled by Haliburton's 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds without a turnover. Carlisle praised Haliburton's zero-turnover night as "pretty remarkable" and a "motivating factor." The Pacers maintained a 69-64 lead at halftime and extended it to 102-91 by the end of the third quarter. While New York mounted a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to 115-109, Obi Toppin's three-pointer with 46 seconds remaining ultimately sealed the Knicks' fate, establishing a 126-116 lead for Indiana.

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