Tyrese Haliburton has done it again.
Following an embarrassing loss to Lithuania in which he only recorded three points, it is safe to say that the Indiana Pacers point guard found his footing again in Team USA’s knockout stage win vs. Italy, scoring a career-high 18 points.
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton dominates in Team USA’s win over Italy
In Team USA’s loss to Lithuania, there was some concern with Haliburton’s touches, as it seemed as though the squad was actively leaving him out of the offense in favor of Jalen Brunson and other ball-handlers despite Haliburton’s proven effectiveness. While his defensive improvements have been a pleasant surprise, his offensive production left a lot to be desired.
As for Haliburton’s defense, the point guard has made significant strides to improve on that end and has blossomed into a decent defender for Team USA, even recording some highlight blocks and turning defense into offense at times.
This was Team USA’s first look at this iteration of the Italian national team, and they have been without usual standout Danilo Gallinari, who is at the back end of his recovery process after tearing his ACL last summer during FIBA play.
Luckily for Team USA and Pacers fans, Haliburton got a chance to show off his skills, earning serious minutes and touches against Italy. It worked out well for everyone involved, as the star point guard showed out when his team needed him most.
With that, let’s break down Haliburton’s and Team USA’s performance against Italy, in which they punched their ticket to the semifinals of the tournament.