Kendrick Perkins Makes the Case Against a Big Night for Tyrese Halliburton in Game 3

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers are tied 1–1 as the NBA Finals shift to Indianapolis this week. While Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke Allen Iverson's record for most points in his first two Finals games, Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton has been much quieter offensively, save that game-winner in Game 1.

Haliburton has scored just 31 total points in the first two games of the series. After Game 2, ESPN's Bob Myers said that he expected a big game out of Haliburton in Game 3, but Kendrick Perkins laid out a pretty solid case against that.

"I don't believe he can, to be honest with you," said Perkins. "I mean we have to think of who we're talking about right now. We're talking about one of the best defensive teams in NBA history. We're talking about a team that just made the best player in the wolrd have the worst series of his career."

When Myers argued that Jokic had a couple good games, Perkins pointed out it was just two out of seven.

"And then we just watched [them] shut down Anthony Edwards," Perkins continued. "And these are guys that are known as elite scorers. Tyrese Haliburton is not known for elite scorer. He only averaged 18 points in this playoffs. And when you have guys like Alex Caruso and Lu Dort and Cason Wallace. All these guys are being thrown at you. I don't know if he's capable of having one of those monster scoring nights."

In 18 postseason games this year, Haliburton has scored 30+ just three times. Meanwhile, the Pacers are 8–1 this postseason when he has double-digit assists. So a monster game for Haliburton is possible in Game 3, but it seems unlikely he does it by scoring.

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