Tyrese Haliburton vs Jalen Brunson: Head-to-head matchup explored ahead of ECF | 2025 NBA Playoffs

The Eastern Conference Finals begin on Thursday, with Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks in the spotlight. Haliburton and Brunson are expected to lead their teams back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000 and 1999, respectively.

Haliburton played like a man possessed in this year's playoffs, especially after his peers voted him "Most Overrated Player" in the league. It fueled the Pacers' star to help his team eliminate Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and Donovan Mitchell and the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the East Semis.

On the other hand, Brunson has turned himself into the savior of Knicks basketball since arriving as a free agent in 2022. He struggled in the first round against the upstart Detroit Pistons before bouncing back in a big way versus the defending champions Boston Celtics in the next round.

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Tyrese Haliburton vs. Jalen Brunson Head-to-Head Matchup

Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson have faced each other 21 times in their careers, seven of which were in last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals. Haliburton led the Indiana Pacers to a 4-3 series win over the hobbled New York Knicks.

In 14 regular-season games, the two stars have split it evenly at 7-7. However, this should be divided into two parts, with the first one being during their time with the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks, respectively. They have battled six times when they were in the Western Conference, with Haliburton gaining the edge at 4-2.

On the other hand, Brunson had the upper hand when they went to the Eastern Conference with a record of 5-3. The matchup appears to be even on paper, but the two players are different. Brunson is more of a scorer, while Haliburton is a playmaker, though both have been clutch for their teams in the postseason.

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WWE predicted Tyrese Haliburton vs. Jalen Brunson

The rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks has a deep history, which was reignited last year in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Knicks have not beaten the Pacers in a playoff series since the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals.

Before it was Reggie Miller vs. Patrick Ewing in terms of star power, but it's Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson's turn this time around. And it was predicted last year by the WWE, with Haliburton and Brunson appearing inside the ring in an episode of SmackDown at Madison Square Garden.

Haliburton was the "bad guy" and sided with Logan Paul, while Brunson came in to be the "good guy" and evened the odds for LA Knight. Maybe the two stars could settle it inside the ring later, like what Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman did with WCW after the 1998 NBA Finals.