"Tired of being a loser" - Tyrese Haliburton gives honest self-assessment after rough season start

Tyrese Haliburton has statistically been on fire this season, averaging 27.0 points, 11.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. In addition to his impressive numbers, he's been incredibly efficient, averaging 52% from the field, 45% from beyond the arc and 88% from the charity stripe. Despite that, the Indiana Pacers have struggled, going 9-8 in a stacked Eastern Conference.

While their play has been enough to keep them in the top half of the standings, they notably sit 4.5 games outside of first place. With longtime contenders like the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks performing as expected and up-and-coming teams like the Orlando Magic thriving, the East is more competitive than ever.

After Thursday's tough loss to the Miami Heat, who sit just one spot above the Pacers in the Eastern Conference standings, Tyrese Haliburton expressed his frustration. While speaking to media members after the Pacer's 142-132 loss, he shut down the praise for his performance:

"I just want to get to playoffs. I'm not gonna lie. Like, that- all the individual stuff is cool, and I've accomplished a lot individually. Already been an All-Star, which is a main goal of mine when I came to the NBA. Obviously, there's more for me to achieve individually, but I mean, individual success is nothing at this point.

"I just want to win. I'm tired of being a loser. So I gotta do a better job of finding ways to win."

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Tyrese Haliburton's remarkable play this season and the tough road ahead for the Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton's performance against the Miami Heat capped off a dominant November for the young guard. Over 40 minutes, he put up a whopping 44 points while dishing out 10 assists.

On the defensive end of the floor, Tyrese Haliburton rose to the occasion despite a tough matchup, recording three steals and a block. However, as he explained to media members, there's much more to the game than individual stats.

The loss made it two straight for the Indiana Pacers, who have been hopeful they would be more competitive in the Eastern Conference. While they managed to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament, they now face a tough matchup.

On Monday, after a rematch with the Miami Heat on Saturday, the Pacers will take on the Boston Celtics in the knockout round of the NBA In-Season Tournament. Although their play during the regular season hasn't been up to Haliburton's expectations, the NBA Cup has seen the team dominate.

The Pacers posted an impressive 4-0 record through the Group Stage, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons. With a rematch against the Heat this weekend and a chance to advance to the semifinals of the NBA Cup on Monday, the team will look to bounce back in a big way.