Before the first of two NBA Paris games on Thursday, Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle raved about his two star players. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, calling them “All-Stars”. However, hours after the Pacers’ 140-110 blowout loss to the Spurs, you needed to scroll past many names, before either one of the players popped up on the 2025 NBA All-Star starters list.
In Haliburton’s case, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, LaMelo Ball, Trae Young, Damian Lillard, Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro, Jordan Poole, Josh Hart and Derrick White all received more love by the voting panel (50% fans, 25% selected media members, 25% active NBA players) than the Pacers star.
If we’re taking a closer look at Pascal Siakam’s All-Star votes, it’s 16 different Eastern Conference front court players that are ranked above him in the final voting results.
Then, in the second game of the Paris series on Saturday, that ended 136-98 in favor of the Indiana Pacers. Haliburton was nothing short of spectacular, finishing with 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including a sizzling 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. His performance was especially pivotal in the third quarter when the Pacers needed him most, where his body-of-work was eagerly reminiscent of Stephen Curry’s in the Olympic Gold Medal game, that took place in the same building – granted, with different stakes, of course.
Haliburton scored 18 points in that third quarter, including a blistering 16 points in just 3:25, propelling the Pacers back into control. His scoring flurry was instrumental in a decisive 19-3 run that stretched into the fourth quarter, giving the Pacers a comfortable 98-83 lead.
16 STRAIGHT.
18 IN THE 3RD.
7-8 FGM | 4-4 3PM.Tyrese Haliburton DOMINATED the last 3 minutes.
Pacers back up 12 headed to the 4th on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/xEhlNQwchT
— NBA (@NBA) January 25, 2025
Pascal Siakam also had a standout game, contributing 23 points and 11 rebounds. His presence on the court was crucial in maintaining the Pacers’ momentum and securing the victory. Siakam’s performance, combined with Haliburton’s, led the Pacers to a dominant win, not only showcasing their strong form as of late, but also their ability to bounce back after the tough loss in the first Paris game.
So in the post-game press conference following the second NBA Paris Game, I asked Pacers’ head coach Rick Carlisle about why he thinks his two stars aren”t shown as much love, as other players on the list, even though the Pacers are a top-five team in the Eastern Conference.
“Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are All-Stars. Whether they’re named to the team or not, remains to be seen,” Carlisle said. “But I believe that people around the league recognize that they are All-Star players. A lot of people today on national TV are going to see what Tyrese did at the end of the third quarter that changed the game, and that will certainly get him attention. And Pascal’s been one of the most consistent players all year long. He’s a 20 and eight guy every single night, and he had a lot of huge plays tonight. We’ll see what happens with All-Star. Regardless of what happens – the fans of Pacer nation, see these guys as superstars.”
Coach Carlisle: “Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are All-Stars…” pic.twitter.com/LzmxbVgySq
— Len Werle (@RealLennyCarlos) January 26, 2025
With this victory, the Pacers have now won nine of their last 11 games, improving their record to 25-20 and maintaining their playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The Pacers will now return to the United States, where they will continue to build on their recent achievements.
As for Haliburton and Siakam, the All-Star reserves will be announced this coming Thursday, during TNT NBA Tip-Off.
