No, Tyrese Haliburton didn't call Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 'insufferable'

The Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 2-0 in their 141-135 double-overtime win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander erupted for a career-high 55 points. 

The reigning NBA MVP contributed 55 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block while shooting 23-for-26 from the charity stripe — a performance that elicited a variety of reactions online. The 27-year-old was often labeled a “free-throw merchant” during the 2024-25 campaign because of his ability to draw fouls, and that chatter has already picked back up in 2025-26. 

Tyrese Haliburton, who has already been ruled out for the entire season due to a torn Achilles, was on the sideline for Thursday's game, watching his team battle against the Thunder in the NBA Finals rematch. Following the loss, a parody account on X named “Tyrese Haliburner” called Gilgeous-Alexander and the refs "insufferable," leading many online to believe Haliburton himself had made the comment. 

MORE: Thunder favored to repeat as Western Conference's best by NBA insider

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets the last laugh

After Gilgeous-Alexander's dominant performance, the parody account posted about the superstar and the double-overtime thriller. 

“Proud of the fight. Fans were awesome. SGA and the refs are insufferable. Pushing me closer to being done with the NBA,” they wrote. 

Proud of the fight. Fans were awesome. SGA and the refs are insufferable. Pushing me closer to being done with the NBA.

In the age of breaking news on social media, several parody accounts have repeatedly fooled fans with misinformation — especially on X. From “NBA Centel” to “Scams Charania," many fans have been duped by these impersonators in the past. And now, fans have been Hali-burned.

Thankfully for Indiana, the Pacers won't see the Thunder again until Jan. 23 at Oklahoma City. For now, the defending champions will shift their focus to Saturday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. 

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