Tyrese Haliburton thought the Eastern Conference finals MVP trophy was his.
But then it wasn’t.
During the Pacers celebration shortly following their Game 6 win against the Knicks, “Inside the NBA” host Ernie Johnson took to the court alongside Reggie Miller to announce the MVP of the series.
award for the Eastern Conference finals. Screengrab via X/@calebnixonmedia
series against the Knicks on May 31. Screengrab via X/@calebnixonmedia
As Johnson started the announcement, the camera panned over to Haliburton smiling and throwing up peace signs — which suggested he seemingly believed that he was going to receive the award.
Haliburton, 25, stopped in his tracks, however, when Johnson announced Pacers forward Pascal Siakam as the series MVP.
Throughout the series against the Knicks, Haliburton averaged 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, including a 21-point performance during the closing game Saturday.
The two-time All-Star also had some late-game heroics during Game 1 of the series, hitting the game-tying shot which sent Indiana to overtime — where the Pacers later won 138-135.
In Game 5, however, Haliburton’s performance was a dud, as he collected just eight points while shooting 28.6 percent from the field.
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Siakam, 31, finished the series averaging 24.8 points per game on 52.4 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent behind the 3-point line.
The 2019 NBA Finals champion finished with a game-high 31 points in the clincher, helping send the Pacers to their first trip to the Finals in 25 years.
“First of all, shoutout Indy man,” Siakam said to the crowd while accepting the award. “It’s been such an amazing experience for me so far. From the first day I landed here, the love has been amazing. Just unbelievable, [Indiana] is a first-class organization. I’m just so happy to be here.”
“After a bad Game 5 we wanted to bounce back,” Siakam added. “I have 100 percent belief in my teammates and whenever we’re down, we always find a way. And we did that tonight.”
