Tyrese Haliburton continues to outdo himself. Lower than per week after changing into the third participant in historical past, and the primary in three a long time, to register consecutive 20-point/20-assist video games, Haliburton put up one other historic stat line in Indiana’s win over the Bucks on Wednesday with 31 factors, 12 assists, three blocks and nil turnovers. 

Throw in 5 made 3-pointers, and Haliburton is now the primary participant in historical past to succeed in these single-game thresholds. His 76 assists towards seven turnovers over his final 5 video games can be an NBA file for ratio.

Take out the 5 made 3-pointers, and Haliburton is simply the second participant in historical past even to register 30 factors, 10 assists and three blocks with zero turnovers, becoming a member of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This marks the third time this season that Haliburton has recorded a minimum of 10 assists with zero turnovers, double the quantity every other participant has amassed.

The reigning Japanese Convention Participant of the Week, Haliburton has carded 66 assists and 4 turnovers over his final 4 video games. Do the mathematics, and that’s a completely absurd 16.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. 

If the season ended at this time, Haliburton’s 12.7 assists per sport would go down because the fourth-highest mark in historical past. He leads the league in help factors created and assisted 3-pointers, per PBP Stats. Haliburton has now recorded double-digit assists in 10 straight video games and 27 of his 31 video games this yr. 

Most significantly, the Pacers took down the Bucks … once more. Together with their In-Season Event win, the Pacers are actually 4-1 this season towards Milwaukee, with which a budding rivalry is clearly growing. 

“I believe we’re getting up for these video games [vs. Milwaukee],” Haliburton stated. “I believe as a younger group, while you play good groups, you need to be as ready for them as you’ll be able to. … It is fascinating, I’ve by no means performed a staff this many occasions this early [in the season]; I believe we have dealt with it the appropriate means. You recognize, the sport in Milwaukee bought somewhat chippy, and I assumed we responded the appropriate means. There have been a whole lot of issues stated from either side. We have dealt with it the appropriate means. 

“The nice half about taking part in the Bucks 5 occasions already, we have the Celtics three extra occasions, these are two of the very best groups in our convention, so simply seeing the place we stack up towards these guys early has been fascinating, and we simply need to maintain approaching these video games the appropriate means.”

When you do not recall the “chippy” sport in Milwaukee that Haliburton is referring to, on Dec. 13 the Bucks bought their one win towards the Pacers this season, and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high/franchise-record 64 factors. After the sport, Giannis needed the sport ball. He thought the Pacers took it to spite him. He went chasing down the tunnel. He was livid. 

Afterward, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle’s story was that Indiana had, certainly, taken the sport ball on the buzzer, nevertheless it was the reserve ball — and never as a result of the staff was making an attempt to steal it from Giannis, however as a result of they needed it for his or her rookie, Oscar Tshiebwe, who had scored his first NBA level within the sport. 

Giannis did find yourself with a ball afterward, retrieved by Bucks safety, however he was skeptical that it was the precise sport ball. 

“I’ve a ball, however I do not know if it is the sport ball. It does not really feel like a sport ball to me,” Antetokounmpo stated. “It seems like a brand-new ball. I can inform. I performed 35 minutes at this time. I understand how the sport ball felt. The ball I’ve, which I will take and I will give it to my mother for positive, however I do not know if it is really the sport ball.”

So yeah, that is turning right into a reputable rivalry, and it’s properly throughout the realm of prospects that the Pacers and Bucks ultimately meet up in a first-round playoff sequence. Coming into play on Thursday, the Pacers, who’ve received 5 straight after dropping six of eight popping out of the IST, are the East’s No. 6 seed, whereas Milwaukee is No. 2.