“You know the love I have for that guy” - Tyrese Haliburton pays classy tribute to Damian Lillard
Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard have gotten somewhat of a rivalry going over the past few months, going all the way back to the NBA Cup when Haliburton imitated Lillard's patented "Dame Time" celebration. But now that the Bucks guard has sustained a serious Achilles injury that could sideline him for an extended period, Haliburton has turned to sportsmanship by sending well wishes.
After Haliburton's Pacers defeated Lillard's Bucks 129-103 in Game 4, Haliburton got ahead of anything that the media was planning to ask him about. He had something that he first had to address:
"Before y'all ask any questions, I wanna send my thoughts and prayers to Dame," the two-time All-Star said. "What you see between us is competing, and you hate to see that [Lillard's injury] happen. Especially a guy who's went through a lot and given it his all to come out here and play after a scary health issue."
Haliburton is referring to the trash talk that he and Lillard have been engaging in since the start of their first-round series. While the two competitors clearly had no love lost for each other on the court, Haliburton made it clear in his post-game interview on Sunday that he has tremendous respect for the Bucks star as an individual:
"It's well-documented, the love I have for that guy," he added. "You hate to see that happen to anybody, and I wish him the best moving forward."
After missing a significant chunk of time — including Game 1 of this series — due to deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, Lillard competed in the last three games against the Pacers, chipping in seven points and five assists in Milwaukee's Game 3 win.
However, in the opening minutes of Game 4, Lillard sustained a non-contact injury as he was going for a rebound. After Lillard left the game, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that his injury is feared to be a torn Achilles.
Tyrese Haliburton praises hardworking Pacers teammate: "He's willing to die for this"
Having said his piece on Lillard, Haliburton proceeded to addressing the reporters' questions. One topic that came up during this media availability was his teammate Aaron Nesmith, whose hustle proved to be indispensable for the Pacers in their Game 4 win.
"He's willing to die for this," Haliburton said. "He gives it his all every night, and I think every team in the NBA wants a guy like Aaron Nesmith."
Nesmith finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and the highest plus/minus on team in Game 4 (+26). Pacers fans, of course, are hoping that the fifth-year guard can once again bring his intangibles as their team looks to close out Milwaukee in Game 5.
