Stephen A. Smith blasts Tyrese Haliburton after a disappointing Game 5 vs. OKC, saying he’s not helping the Pacers when it countsStephen A. Smith (Photo by Kirby Lee/Imagn Images) and Tyrese Haliburton (Photo by Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
The Oklahoma City Thunder had the last laugh as Game 5 came to an end. With a dominant showing, the Thunder went 3-2 up to lead the series. However, as far as the Pacers are concerned, their star prospect, Tyrese Haliburton, had quite a forgettable game. While he went scoreless in the first half, Haliburton also seemed to be struggling significantly with his calf. And all of this did not sit well with NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith.

Speaking about Haliburton, Smith did not mince words. He pointed out that the Pacers’ star looked significantly out of sorts. He was not active in court and also lacked the required aggression. Expressing his frustration, Smith stated that Haliburton needs to take a step back and rest. Otherwise, he is not helping his team at all.

“He looks bad! He was not active! He was not aggressive! And now that we know that he’s not healthy, I totally agree with Big Perk! Sit him down! Get him ready for Game 6!… He ain’t helping the team! He’s not helping them!” said Smith.

Surely, Smith has reasons to be upset. While the Pacers lost 109-120, Haliburton managed just 4 points! Pascal Siakam was the highest scorer for the Pacers, dropping 28 points in 33 minutes. Meanwhile, after winning Game 3, Haliburton had some interesting choice of words for the experts.

Tyrese Haliburton Hit Back At The ‘Talking Heads’ Post Game 3

Tyrese Haliburton Brushes Off Distractions Following a Dominant Game 3 Win in the NBA FinalsTyrese Haliburton (Photo by Alonzo Adams/Imagn Images)
Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers made a stunning comeback in Game 3. While the Thunder drew level, an excellent display from Haliburton propelled his team to a 2-1 lead. Soon after the victory, Haliburton took a shot at the online experts who have been criticizing the Pacers’ star all this time.

“Most of the time, the talking heads on the platforms… I couldn’t care less, honestly. Like, what do they really know about basketball… The commentary is what it is at this point. We’re in the NBA Finals, two wins way from an NBA Championship,” Haliburton said.

Thus, with a lot of noise, it now remains to be seen how Tyrese Haliburton’s future will pan out.

Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his illegal hit to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the ensuing brawl between the teams in a lengthy statement on social media.  

Al-Shaair’s statement comes as his three-game suspension as a result of the incident has ended and he is slated to return to the field for the Texans on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

On December 1, an Al-Shaair hit to the head of a sliding and defenseless Lawrence caused chaos in Jacksonville. The defensive back needed to be restrained by several coaches and Lawrence has not played since taking the barbaric contact.

‘While so many jumped at the first opportunity to hop on the false narrative – that l’m a dirty player or bad person – the messages from all who stood by me were the only things keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation,’ Al-Shaair said on social media.

‘I’ve learned so much from this entire experience. Seeing myself on video – letting my emotions get the best of me to the point where I completely lost it – was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me.’

‘I’ve had to earn everything in my life. I never want to allow anyone to get me to a point where I jeopardize everything that I’ve worked all my life to obtain. That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment.’

Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence
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Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence
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The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence

Al-Shaair said during his three-game ban, he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives for the first time, taking issue with how he was characterized in the official announcement of his suspension.

The defender said he thought his character and integrity were ‘unjustifiably smeared’ in the release but the meeting with Goodell and others was ‘productive’ and gave him hope it would not happen again.

‘In that conversation – man-to-man – I owned and acknowledged that my actions following my ejection were careless and, in that moment, I didn’t think about the responsibility I have been blessed with to represent the shield,’ Al-Shaair continued.

‘I also stated that the letter, and specifically the language used in the letter, was equally as careless and conveyed that the context of the words used were not a reflection of my character, nor my career, as I have not been warned multiple times for my play on the field.’

Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence was not the only controversial incident he was involved in this season.

During the Texans’ game against the Bears in September, he punched Roschon Johnson, who wasn’t even in the game at the time of another sideline confrontation.

Al-Shaair ended his statement by saying his view is that everyone in the league office and on the field are on the same team to represent the NFL in the best nature possible, something he failed to do earlier this month.

‘Lastly, I’ll say that this world is full of negative people who can’t wait to tear you down, but if you move with love and compassion, the seeds of good you planted in others’ lives can grow into the very tree that shades you with comfort and compassion when you need it most,’ Al-Shaair concluded.

‘I am a man of God, I am a leader, a warrior and a lover. I am also a hell of a football player and I’m grateful to be back doing what I love.’