The Indiana Pacers blew a 20-point lead in Monday's loss to the Boston Celtics. And having Tyrese Haliburton, who established himself as a true closer last season, on the court would've helped the team greatly.
After Haliburton suffered an Achilles tear that will sideline him for the entire 2025-26 season, the Pacers knew they would miss him an unbelievable amount. He is the engine to their offense because of his elite facilitation and presence as a scoring threat, and they're even missing him on defense more than they ever anticipated.
Beyond that, though, the Pacers are missing his presence as a closer, and that was especially evident on Monday.
Pacers blew a massive lead in loss to the Celtics
The Pacers played very well in the first half on Monday, scoring 61 points while shooting 51.2% from the field and 60% from deep. They had an 18-point lead at halftime and were up by 20 early in the third quarter. However, they struggled in the second half, scoring just 34 points and shooting 27.3% from the field and 5% from deep (no, that's not a typo).
This is exactly the type of game where having Haliburton would've made a huge difference, particularly because of his ability to step up and take control of the game.
During last season's NBA Finals run, the Wisconsin native had one of the most magical individual postseason performances the league had ever seen. And it was all because of his big-time moments in the clutch. He hit game-winners in one game of each series, and he shot 6-for-7 on game-tying or go-ahead field goal attempts in the last 90 seconds throughout the postseason.
Haliburton established himself as one of the most clutch players in the NBA last season, and it's clear that the Pacers are missing him this season as someone who can take control of games.
According to NBA.com, Indiana is 3-10 in clutch games this season. Only the Los Angeles Clippers have a worse record at 2-10. Additionally, the Pacers are shooting just 18.2% on clutch three-point field goals and only rank ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans (17.6%).
The Pacers have a lot going against them this season, and that's why they rank near the bottom of the league standings with a 6-23 record. They are a shell of their former selves, and most of that has to do with the absence of Haliburton, who clearly contributes to their success in more ways than one.