Tyrese Haliburton Asked WNBA Legend Sue Bird For Advice Before NBA Playoffs

Tyrese Haliburton has played out of his mind in these NBA Playoffs, and he might have Sue Bird to thank.

Well, partly anyway.

During a recent interview with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks, Bird confirmed that the Indiana Pacers star reached out to her ahead of this year's postseason. Haliburton came to the WNBA legend for advice on when to be a facilitator versus when to be a scorer.

Bird reportedly told Haliburton to "trust himself and be honest with himself. To not let his IQ over-complicate and get in the way of what the game is giving him."

"Clearly, he's figured it out," Bird said with a laugh.

Tyrese Haliburton had "extensive discussions" with Sue Bird before this year's NBA Playoffs.

(Getty Images)

Haliburton is coming off a historic performance in Tuesday's Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. In a 130-121 win over the New York Knicks, the All-Star point guard put up 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds — all without a single turnover.

"I was just trying to be aggressive," Haliburton said. "Just trying to play my best. I felt like I let the team down in Game 3. I could have been so much better. I felt like I responded the right way today."

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And that, according to Bird, is what's most impressive about Haliburton — his ability to bounce back from a rough stretch and to find his teammates when he's struggling, rather than play selfish ball.

"I think my favorite part about watching Tyrese in this run is, yes, the clutch play, the big moments. But he's been a little up and down at times, and that's the reality," Bird explained. "I think a lot of times you talk about top players, you talk about All-Stars, and, you know, you see their great play. But it always comes with a bad quarter, a bad game, a bad stretch, and it's really how you respond to that. 

"That's always the differentiator between good players and great players."

With Haliburton leading the way, the Pacers have a 3-1 lead over the Knicks. They'll look to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.