{"id":88344,"date":"2025-06-10T05:08:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T05:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/88344\/"},"modified":"2025-06-10T05:08:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T05:08:13","slug":"stephen-a-smith-makes-bold-tyrese-haliburton-statement-after-pacers-game-2-loss-in-nba-finals-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/88344\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen A. Smith Makes Bold Tyrese Haliburton Statement After Pacers\u2019 Game 2 Loss in NBA Finals 2025\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Stephen A. Smith makes some bold remarks on Tyrese Haliburton after Pacers’ Game 2 loss. <\/p>\n

\"ESPN <\/p>\n

\n Image Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images <\/p>\n

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith came up with a few bold remarks for the Indiana Pacers\u2019 point guard, Tyrese Haliburton after their Game 2 loss in the NBA<\/a> Finals 2025. After securing a last-second comeback victory in the series opener, Indiana couldn\u2019t keep its momentum and suffered a heavy 123-107 fall against Oklahoma City Thunder in the second game. Haliburton, who has attained a legendary status with his stellar performance in the postseason, could add only 17 points.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In fact, he had only five points by the end of the third quarter, putting his superstar status in question. After the game, Smith talked about the 25-year-old\u2019s performance and simply didn\u2019t hold himself back. \u201cWhen You mention somebody on that (superstar) level, it got to be bonafide. It can\u2019t be a question mark or whatever,\u201d said Smith on First Take.\u00a0<\/p>\n

.@stephenasmith<\/a> calls out Tyrese Haliburton after the Pacers’ Game 2 loss.<\/p>\n

“Last night was emblematic of the criticism that he’s received, because in losses, and in games they’ve struggled, that’s what he’s looked like. Where you at? \u2026 With him, it happens too often.” pic.twitter.com\/IcQg46YO4q<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 First Take (@FirstTake) June 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

He went on to add that while the Pacers\u2019 star has the potential to be a superstar, his performance in Game 2 puts everything in question. Smith added, \u201cHaliburton has that potential. But in the end, last night was emblematic of the criticism that he\u2019s received because in losses and in games they\u2019ve struggled. That\u2019s what he looked like. Where you at? Where\u2019s the jump shot? Where\u2019s getting to the hole? Where\u2019s the pull up jump shot? Where\u2019s finishing up at the basket? Where\u2019s pushing the ball in the open court? Where\u2019s being in attack mode? Where\u2019s that level of aggression?\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephen A. Smith Is Not Convinced To Call Tyrese Haliburton a Superstar<\/p>\n

The veteran commentator and sports journalist is hesitant in calling Tyrese Haliburton a superstar. He said that Haliburton\u2019s performance in clutch moments is very well visible, but one needs to look at the entire duration of 48 minutes. He said, \u201cWe know what he\u2019s doing in clutch moments, I\u2019m saying to you all I watch the entire 48 minutes.\u201d Smith went on to say that when he judges someone as a superstar, he thinks about the load that the player is carrying.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 57-year-old opined, \u201cWhen I judge and I think about a superstar, I\u2019m thinking about the number one option on a night in, night out basis that\u2019s having to carry a certain load that others don\u2019t normally carry. You think about {Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry}, the obligations that fall on their shoulders and the night-in, night-out level of production they exhibit comes into play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith added that there is no denying that Haliburton is a rising player, and can be trusted in the clutch moments. However, according to the NBA analyst, one thinks differently when they think of a superstar. He concluded by saying, \u201cThe brother\u2019s a young rising star, and you know that when it\u2019s clutch time, you could put the ball in his hands and say \u2018yo, brother take us there\u2019 and he\u2019ll find a way\u2026 It\u2019s just when you think of a superstar, you just think a little bit differently.\u201d<\/p>\n

Notably, in both games of the NBA Finals series, the two-time NBA All-Star has struggled for the first half. However, while he came up with a remarkable performance during the final seconds of Game 1, the Iowa alum failed to make a mark in Game 2, ultimately leading to the Pacers\u2019 loss.\u00a0<\/p>\n