Tyrese Haliburton’s Improbable ‘Reggie Miller Choke’ Shot Gets Epic Visual Depiction

Tyrese Haliburton had the highest rim bounce for any NBA shot this season, and its degree of improbability can be seen online.

Tyrese Haliburton’s Improbable ‘Reggie Miller Choke’ Shot Gets Epic Visual Depiction

Tyrese Haliburton (Image via Bleacher Report)

The Indiana Pacers are on pace to return to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 seasons. Their Conference Finals series is poised very well for the Indianapolis team, who also made this stage in 2024. Tyrese Haliburton has had one of the best streaks of clutch shot making in NBA history this year. His shot to tie Game 1 with the game clock expiring is already among the most memorable shots of all time.

The Haliburton shot in question went about a dozen feet above the hoop before settling back into the net. It was among the highest bounces from the rim for a shot in this NBA season. Synergy Sports analyst Todd Whitehead shared a graphical depiction of that shot alongside every other rim bounce this year. When viewed in this relative fashion, the sheer amount of luck involved in the shot becomes clearer.

Haliburton has had iconic clutch moments one after another in this playoff run. He closed out the first round against the Bucks after the Pacers trailed by seven points with only seconds remaining. Haliburton then led a double-digit comeback for the Pacers in the fourth quarter of Game 2 against Cleveland. He rebounded his own missed free throw and hit the game-winning 3-pointer. Haliburton followed it up with his Game 1 heroics against the Knicks.

The Olympic gold medalist was more subdued in Game 2 after a shaky shooting start. However, the Pacers rallied around Pascal Siakam, who top-scored with 39 points in game 2. Siakam had half of the Pacers’ 52 points at one juncture, carrying them with 26 points. Haliburton himself characteristically came alive in the second half of Game 2, finishing with 11 assists and only one turnover.

The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse with the possibility of a sweep still wide open. Indiana has a deeper roster and can rest its starting unit with more bench minutes. In turn, this allows both units to always play at a higher pace on both ends of the floor. While the Knicks are among the best-conditioned NBA teams, the Pacers are the one team who are in better shape than Tom Thibodeau’s team.

Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson are having a stylistic battle

The Knicks’ offense has hinged on the execution of the Jalen Brunson–Karl-Anthony Towns pick-and-roll. Their two All-Stars are able to theoretically score against any player in the league. They’ve also had individually good playoff runs as scorers, powering the Knicks’ run. But their style of play involves lesser passing, more emphasis on offensive rebounding and fewer opportunities for others to get a shooting rhythm.

The Pacers, by contrast, entrust more ball-handling responsibilities to Tyrese Haliburton’s teammates. Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, TJ McConnell and Obi Toppin all have on-ball sets that they run regularly. The team emphasizes ball movement and creating space and forcing defenses to rotate. The Pacers get some of the most open shots in the NBA on a regular basis, with or without Haliburton.

This empowers his teammates to establish more of a game flow and feel more offensively involved. In turn, they provide valuable rest to Haliburton given the team’s demanding style of play. The Pacers are able to maintain their pace due to the age composition of their current roster, with many young players in the rotation. The Knicks can make a comeback, but winning the series would need a more sustainable offensive approach with a more egalitarian outlook.

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