Iowa State Cyclones

Former Iowa State Star Tyrese Haliburton Receives Hilarious New Stat in Football Form

After his heroics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, former Cyclones star Tyrese Haliburton drew some hilarious NFL comparisons.

Evan Dammarell

May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

In one of the most electric playoff performances in recent memory, former Iowa State Cyclones and current Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton etched his name into NBA lore with an historic Game 4 against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Haliburton posted an eye-popping stat line, including 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, and remarkably, zero turnovers in 38 minutes. No NBA player has accomlished that since turnovers were officially tracked starting in the 1977-78 season.

For Cyclone fans, this was a reminder of how special Haliburton is. Against the Knicks, the poise, leadership, and vision that Haliburton honed in Ames were on full display under the brightest lights and carried the Pacers throughout Game 4.

“I’ll look at that later and reflect on that at a different time. For me, it’s just about winning,” Haliburton said after Game 4. “ I wanted to prove I could respond when my back is against the wall, my team’s back is against the wall. I feel like we responded the right way."

Funnily enough, Haliburton's response didn’t just come on the scoreboard. According to SportRadar’s Todd Whitehead's data, Haliburton made 77 passes in the Game 4 and tracked the distances of each pass. If measured like an NFL quarterback, Haliburton’s 444 passing yards would rank third all-time among players that never threw an interception, behind only Drew Brees (466) and Tom Brady (505) - both of whom did it with nearly 30 fewer completions.

Despite Haliburton's impressive numbers, there's no need for the Pacers to worry about the Colts calling. With 77 passes just to move the ball 444 yards, Haliburton’s efficiency wouldn’t quite cut it on the gridiron.

Thankfully, on the hardwood, those numbers mean he’s orchestrating at an elite level. Clearly, the former Cyclones superstar is locked in and leading the charge as Indiana pushes for its first NBA Finals appearance in nearly two decades. If Haliburton keeps dealing like this, they just might get there.

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Evan Dammarell
EVAN DAMMARELL

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