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[Saba Sports News] Tyrese Haliburton didn’t win Eastern Conference Finals MVP — and the moment made it clear he wasn’t expecting that outcome.
Haliburton’s Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 on Saturday to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. After the game, TNT’s Ernie Johnson took the floor to present the Larry Bird Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the series.
As Johnson began the announcement, Haliburton was seen standing beside a teammate and even stepping forward, seemingly anticipating his name would be called. But instead, Johnson announced Pascal Siakam as the winner.
Haliburton looked visibly caught off guard — and understandably so.
He tallied 21 points and 13 assists in the clinching Game 6 win, and averaged 21.0 points and 10.5 assists per game throughout the series. Siakam, though, delivered more consistent scoring, putting up 24.8 points per game on an efficient 52.4% shooting clip, including a 31-point performance in Game 6.
As the team’s floor general and emotional tone-setter — notably flashing a “choke” gesture in Game 1 — Haliburton clearly felt he had made his MVP case. In the end, he fell short in what turned out to be a razor-thin vote.