Tyrese Haliburton‘s performance in Game 5 of the NBA Finals is not one he’ll want to remember.
After the Indiana Pacers lost a pivotal contest to the Oklahoma City Thunder in what was a 2-2 series entering Monday, all eyes shifted to the star guard’s health moving forward.
The two-time all-star aggravated a right leg injury late in the first quarter after he lost his balance on a drive and hit the floor, grimacing in pain immediately afterward. Haliburton then left for the locker room area briefly before returning four minutes into the second.
Although he ultimately played 34 minutes in the 120-109 loss, the lead guard was clearly hobbled. Haliburton tied his playoff career low with just four points, all while going without a made field goal for the first time in 36 post-season appearances.
He also added seven rebounds and six assists to go with his three turnovers as he finished a minus-13.
The Pacers thought about shutting down Haliburton at halftime, but he insisted otherwise, according to Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle post-game.
“It’s the NBA Finals. I’ve worked my whole life to be here, and I want to be out there to compete, help my teammates any way I can,” Haliburton said after the game.
While unclear what exactly is bothering his leg, it’s a recurring issue Haliburton’s been dealing with for some time. After Indiana’s Game 2 loss in OKC, the 25-year-old was seen limping post-game. He addressed the matter before Game 3, however, downplaying any concerns.
“I’m fine. Really just a lower leg thing. I’ll leave it at that,” Haliburton explained at the time. “I don’t think there’s anything more to elaborate.”
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And although Carlisle previously echoed that sentiment, despite revealing Haliburton was indeed experiencing discomfort early in the series, his tune changed slightly after Game 5.
“He’s not 100 per cent, it’s pretty clear,” Indiana’s bench boss said of his star player post-game. “But I don’t think he’s going to miss the next game. We were concerned at halftime, he insisted on playing and I thought he made a lot of good things happen in the second half, but he’s not 100 per cent. There’s a lot of guys in this series that aren’t.”
Haliburton came into Monday averaging 17.8 points, 7.5 assists and six rebounds in the Finals.
And now, the challenge of winning an NBA title gets even tougher for the Pacers with one of their leaders possibly limited as the team trails a series for the first time in these playoffs.
Meanwhile, Haliburton’s running mate Pascal Siakam had nothing but praise for his point guard toughing it out in Game 5.
“He’s a fighter. He’s been our rock all year,” Siakam said after his team-high 28-point performance in this loss.
“He’s a big reason why we’re here … I know he’s fighting, he’s gonna give us all he’s got and we’re 100 per cent behind him, and we support him and (he’s shown) his resilience all year. I think that we can continue to count on him to keep fighting. I admire that about him cuz I know it’s hard.”
Indiana must win Thursday’s Game 6 at home to stave off elimination and force a winner-takes-all Game 7 for the championship.
“I was not great tonight by any means, but it’s not really a thought of mine to not play here,” Haliburton said. “If I can walk, I want to play, so they understand that, it is what it is, got to be ready for Game 6.”
