"Tends to take the back seat" - Former Pacers star calls out Tyrese Haliburton's biggest flaw after Game 3 loss

Up by as many as 20 points early on, it looked like Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers were on their way to another victory Sunday. However, thanks to stellar play from Karl-Anthony Towns, the New York Knicks managed to walk out with a 106-101 victory. Following another massive comeback, one former player called out the Pacers star.

Indiana had complete control of the game heading halftime, but its vice grip slowly dwindled in the second half. This opened the door for New York to complete another 20-point comeback this postseason, which it took full advantage of. None of it would have been possible if it wasn't for Towns, who scored 20 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter.

On Shannon Sharpe's "Nightcap" podcast after the game, former Pacers star Jermaine O'Neal gave his thoughts on another exciting matchup between the teams. He zeroed in on Tyrese Haliburton and his unwilligness to lead the charge at times.

"When I look at these game, what is the best players doing," O'Neal said (Timestamp: 6:30). "Tyrese Haliburton, he has to take over the games. When you see your team struggling and the offense isn't flowing well. I think he tends to take the back seat a little too much."

Haliburton led the charge for the Pacers with 20 points and seven assists, but it wasn't enough for Indiana to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Now, it'll look to regroup and secure a win on their home floor in Game 4 before heading back to New York for Game 5.

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Tyrese Haliburton speaks on Pacers' stagnant offense in Game 3

Game 3 was a tale of two halves for Tyrese Haliburton and company. They came out of the gates strong, scoring nearly 60 points in the first half. Things drastically changed following the halftime intermission, as Indiana mustered just 42 points in the second half.

While speaking to the media after the game, Haliburton was asked about the Pacers' offense going stagnant. He cited missed shots as a key reason but is optimistic the team can study film and make adjustments ahead of Game 4.

"We had some missed shots, you know 5-for-25 from three, that's not ideal," Haliburton said (Timestamp: 6:15). "I got to watch film to really see our offensive processes, what they really were. Felt like we got kind of stagnant on that end. We'll see where we can get better, watch film and be ready to go for Game 4."

As the primary conductor of the offense, it is on Tyrese Haliburton to keep things running smoothly across all four quarters. He'll need to make adjustments in Game 4 if the Pacers are going to stop the Knicks from tying up the series.