"The Tyrese Haliburton effect" - NBA fans in awe after Pacers light up Wizards with mammoth 162-point blitz

Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers made franchise history in multiple ways during Thursday's 162-109 blowout road win against the Washington Wizards. The lopsided score left NBA fans in disbelief over Indiana's offensive clinic.

Haliburton finished with a game-high 29 points, six assists and seven 3-pointers, shooting 60.0%. The star point guard was one of nine Pacers players to score in double-figures as they led by as many as 59 points at Capital One Arena.

Indiana's 162 points and 27 3-pointers both marked franchise records. Meanwhile, its 48 assists were the most by any team this season, encapsulating its well-rounded offensive display.

The one-sided result generated shock and awe on X/Twitter.

Many fans praised the Pacers for their statistical masterclass.

"They almost broke the scoreboard," @StealsandDeals said.

"Pacers really went crazy," @ClipNation74 wrote.

"Holy heck, are you serious?" @13isLucky13 said.

"Nine players with double-digit scores. They're locked in," @LunaGirl30 wrote.

Meanwhile, others credited Haliburton and the LA Lakers, who shocked Indiana at the buzzer on its home floor on Wednesday night, winning 120-119.

"THE HALIBURTON EFFECT," @dgsire said.

"Pacers players playing with anger after last night," @shanexHCM wrote.

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Tyrese Haliburton on "fun" win over Wizards

Following Thursday's historic victory, Tyrese Haliburton was asked to describe his team's scoring spectacle, underscoring his enjoyment.

"Fun," Haliburton said. "Basketball is fun, making shots is fun and winning is fun. So, fun."

During his postgame interview, the two-time All-Star also commended his squad's tight-knit chemistry.

"We just love being around each other," Haliburton said (timestamp: 0:35). "We've got a really close bond as a group. We're trying to do something special."

Haliburton has seemingly dispelled any concerns about his slow start to the season. While Thursday's performance snapped the playmaker's 12-game double-double streak, he delivered one of his 10 best scoring outputs of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Indiana (43-30) got back on track, furthering its grasp on the Eastern Conference's fourth seed. It sits two games ahead of the fifth-seeded Detroit Pistons (41-32) with nine outings remaining. Thus, the Pacers are in a prime position to secure home-court advantage for the postseason's first round.

They will look to carry forward their offensive excellence on Saturday when they visit the league-best OKC Thunder (61-12).

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