Early into his NBA career, Sacramento Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton has shown he doesn’t fear anybody. It seems like he doesn’t hear all the noise and criticisms. But on Thursday, it got quite literal for the young guard.
With the Kings down by four with only 30 seconds left in the fourth period against the Houston Rockets, Haliburton knocked down a corner three-pointer right in front of the Houston Rockets bench, narrowing the gap to 118-117. The 20-year-old spitfire then hilariously stared down Rockets big man DeMarcus Cousins, who yelled into his ear in hopes of providing a distraction.
But Haliburton didn’t get fazed at all.
Boogie did everything he could to defend the shot from the bench
(via @NBCSKings)pic.twitter.com/E2Scr8rIUF
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) January 1, 2021
Sapped of much of his athletic ability following injuries to his ACL and Achilles heel, Cousin’s effort is likely to be his best defensive contribution this season.
While the primal scream was unsuccessful, it brought a smile to Haliburton’s face as he ran back up the court shaking his head.
The Kings, however, still lost, 122-119 to give Cousins and John Wall the win in their Rockets debut.
Haliburton though had another solid outing with 11 points, two rebounds, and two steals in 27 minutes off the bench. He had a nasty fall earlier in the game but clearly, he just easily shook it off.
Drafted 12th overall selection in the NBA Draft after a three-year stint at Iowa State, Tyrese Haliburton has quickly risen to the top of the list of candidates for Rookie of the Year. For players looking to stop him in the future, it doesn’t appear that screaming will help.
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