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Tyrese Haliburton · Undoubtedly aware of the Dallas Mavericks’ schedule, and its battle against a fellow Eastern Conference elite just hours prior, the fastbreak-focused Indiana Pacers left one opening-half takeaway well-confirmed. The back-to-back set, for the reigning Western Conference champions, would be tough to deal with; the behind-the-back, from Tyrese Haliburton, would be even tougher. Statistically off-course, and officially due for a performance rivaling that of 2023-24’s breakout season, Haliburton attempts to create the opportunity within a well-known transition atmosphere. Wide-eyed upon recognizing Naji Marshall’s quickly-approaching defensive presence, Haliburton — ignoring the scary movie-themed advice to “never look back” — smoothly delivers a room service dime to a trailing teammate, supplying Indiana with much-needed pre-halftime momentum. Built for a battle between two of last season’s top four, the All-Star floor general arrived with heroics, keying a back-and-forth win through 25 points (on 10-of-16 shooting), four rebounds, 12 assists, and two 3-pointers on November 4, 2024. · State of Mint