INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton, among the biggest tormentors of the Knicks in the playoffs last season, entered Sunday in a deep slump.
Then he burst his way out of it with a season-high 35 points and 14 assists in Sunday’s 132-121 victory over the Knicks.
“Look at the look in the eyes. It was as simple as that,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “I could make up some other bullsh–, but they’re just times when great players just have a look in their eye that you know they’re going to be great.
“They are determined not only to have a great individual game, but to highly impact the game for themselves and their teammates.”
Before Sunday, the All-Star guard’s production was way down while averaging 14.7 points on 38 percent shooting overall — including an abysmal 25 percent from beyond the arc.
Carlisle unloaded all the excuses pregame, but didn’t need them after.
“Listen, he’s a great player and he’s going to be fine,” Carlisle said. “As I’ve been through this whole thing a couple of times now, this summer, even though he was on the Olympic team, he didn’t play much and he didn’t get to work out much because he actually got injured when he was there.
“And then he was dealing with another ailment into the fall.”
A persistent heckling fan near the bench went so far that the Knicks asked for him to be ejected Sunday.
However, as Josh Hart told The Post, security did not oblige and the fan wasn’t removed despite it happening “like all game.” Some of the incident was caught by MSG Network, with video of Hart pointing to the stands.
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According to one of nine rules in the NBA Fan Code of Conduct, “Guests will enjoy the basketball experience free from disruptive behavior, including foul or abusive language and obscene gestures.”
Caitlin Clark, who plays her home games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the Indiana Fever, was a front row spectator for the Pacers victory.
The Pacers held a seat in their press room in honor of longtime Knicks radio analyst Brendan Brown, who unexpectedly passed away last week due to health complications at 54 years old.
Brown’s spot was “reserved” with a framed photo of him with an MSG microphone. Brown, the son of former Knicks coach Hubie Brown, was on the Knicks radio broadcast for over a decade, replacing the legendary John Andariese in 2012.
The memorial service for Brown is being held Monday at the Doyle Funeral Home in Morristown, N.J., from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Abbey (Delbarton School) at 230 Mendham Road in Morristown.
Cam Payne is ahead of Precious Achiuwa in his recovery from a hamstring strain, according to coach Tom Thibodeau. Payne suffered his injury Nov. 1 and Achiuwa hasn’t played yet this season after straining his hamstring in the preseason finale.
Thibodeau didn’t want to speculate if either will be available for Tuesday’s game in Philadelphia, but Payne sounds like a possibility.
“Cam’s further along because he’s obviously doing a lot more on the court,” Thibodeau said. “Precious still hasn’t been cleared for practice. He’s doing a lot on the court but he hasn’t been cleared for practice. So there’s another step before we can say he’s getting close.”
