Dwight Howard Sends Tyrese Haliburton Message After NBA Finals Heroics originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The difference on the final scoreboard was one point, and the difference on this first installment of the Finals MVP Ladder is one spot, separating the player who made the shot and the one who missed — Tyrese Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

On a random Saturday in January 2022, the Pacers' star guard was issued a challenge. He met it -- and his rise began.

“He’s just a great player and has showed up for us since he’s gotten here,” said Haliburton’s backup, T.J. McConnell, “but has really taken (it) to another level in these playoffs, especially toward the end of the game. He’s just an incredible player who loves having the ball in his hands in those moments and has continued to show up.”

Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain goes crazy over Tyrese Haliburton's shot to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the finals.

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers stole Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Haliburton's game-winning jumper.

Well, the Indiana Pacers' arrival in OKC could've gone smoother. As storms and tornadoes took over Oklahoma, the Eastern Conference champion had its flight delayed due to the weather. The mini-stoppage took over NBA Twitter as local folks joked it was an appropriate welcome to the state.

Tyrese Haliburton's girlfriend, Jade Jones, has more than 64,000 followers on Instagram. But who is the Iowa native?